Working Together
by HufflepuffMommy
Summary: It's been almost four months since the end of the war and Hermione find herself pregnant. Much to the disappointment of her boyfriend though, it is *not* his. What exactly happened to her and what will they do? Ron/Hermione pairing in the beginning, Draco/Hermione friendship, followed by Dramione eventually. NOT A TRIAD! *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I have had a really, really bad today today, which basically just involves me being very ill until about an hour ago, and now my youngest is sick. This flu thing is a vicious cycle.**_  
 _ **Anyways, since I had a bad day, and now feeling better, I decided to finally post my newest fic, Working Together. This story is different from my others, such that it starts off with Hermione/Ron and will eventually lead to Dramione, however, that is way down the line. It's also a bit more on the dramatic side, I think? It's more serious but I will still put in cute and funny parts, don't worry!**_

 _ **Trigger warnings: Mentions of rape/hinting at rape; and thought/ suggestion of abortion.**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy this new story! I only have a few chapters written so far, so updating will be sporadic, especially once I post all of my pre-written chapters.**_

 _ **Enjoy! ~HufflepuffMommy**_

* * *

 **Working Together**

* * *

Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the white stick-like contraption in her hands. She heard Ron come in through the floo and sat upright, wiping away the tears that had been streaming down her face and tried to gain some composure.

"'Mione? You home?" he called out.

"I'm in the bedroom," she said, her voice cracking slightly from crying just moments before.

She stood up as he entered the doorway, placing the contraption in her pocket, before giving him a small smile.

He smiled back in return, but his brows drew together in confusion. He knew she had been crying- after the war had ended a few months before, they had both been able to spot the signs in each other when one of them was upset.

"Hey," he said, walking over to her and gathering her up in a comfortable hug. "What's wrong?"

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, willing the tears to not pour out. Not yet. She let go of Ron, unsure if this would be the last time he'd touch her, and she nibbled her lip in worry.

Ron reached out and rubbed his thumb along her bottom lip, stopping her actions as he gave her a kind smile. "Mione, you can tell me if you want. Or we can wait until later if you prefer-"

She shook her head. "No… no, I need to tell you, now, it's just…" she trailed off, unsure of where to start.

"...Just?" he asked, nodding his head encouragingly while starting the process of taking off his work robes.

She watched as he tossed his robes on the bed, then starting taked off his button up shirt.

"You know I love you… right, Ron?"

He gave her a lopsided grin. "I love you too."

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "I have some…. news. And I'm not sure how you're going to take it."

Ron pulled out a t-shirt from the one drawer he had in her flat and slipped it over his head before walking back over to her, holding both her hands in his.

"Just spit it out 'Mione. I'm sure nothing can be worse than-"

"I'm pregnant, Ronald," she said, clamping her eyes shut as she did her confession.

Ron stopped talking immediately and just gaped at her. When he didn't make any sound or movement, Hermione finally opened her eyes, gauging his reaction.

Slowly, the gape turned into a wide grin. "You're...pregnant?" he whispered.

Tears started slipping out of Hermione's eyes as she nodded. "Yes," she whispered back, looking down.

He put a finger to her chin and lifted it up so he could look her in the eyes. "Hermione… I don't know why you're so upset. Having a child with you is… well, sooner than expected, but it was something we talked about, didn't we?"

Hermione slipped her hands out of his and sat on the bed again. She pulled out the contraption from her pocket, a positive pregnancy test, and stared at it.

Ron sat gently next to her. "'Mione, I swear we'll make this work. I'll quit being an auror.. Start working full time at the Joke shop. George has been asking me to be partner with him anyways and-"

"I don't think it's yours," she said just above a whisper.

Ron frowned, not sure he heard correctly. "What?"

She finally looked him in the eyes. "I'm not sure the baby is yours," she stated again.

"Not mine? But… whose else could it be? We've barely left each other's side since after the war."

Hermione looked into the confused face of Ron's and burst into tears. "I think… I think it's Draco Malfoy's."

Ron's eyes grew wide in shock. "Malfoy's? How… What… _When_?" he asked.

"It was (hic) before the war (hic) ended," she said, hiccuping between words. She took a few deep breaths before continuing. "When we were caught, at Malfoy Manor, something happened while you and Harry were down in the cellars and… well, I think I might be carrying his child."

Ron's face hardened. "What do you mean 'something happened'? Are you saying that Malfoy… that he…." His face had turned the color of puce and he was so upset that he couldn't get any more words out.

Hermione nodded and grabbed Ron's arm, knowing he was about to get up and probably storm off to the Malfoy Manor right then and there. "But, it's more complicated than that." Ron scoffed as she continued. "I _swear_ Ron, it wasn't his fault."

"Hermione," he said, irritated, "How can something like _that_ not be his fault?"

"There's more to it. He was forced to do it," she said, biting her lip and looking down again.

Ron finally stood from the bed and began pacing, trying to process all of the information thrown at him.

"We were at the Manor at the end of April, right?" he asked.

She nodded, sniffling.

He frowning at her. "Wouldn't you have known _sooner_? I mean, that was 4 months ago for Merlin's sake."

Hermione shook her head, wiping away a few wayward tears. "It's normal to miss a few cycles when under stress… I just thought that was it."

Ron closed his eyes, his anger fading and being replaced with sadness, for both himself and her. "And…. there's no way that the baby could be… mine?" he asked quietly.

Hermione stood and walked to him, grabbing his hands into hers now. "I wish it were Ron. I truly do. But, if the baby was yours, I would only be a few weeks along. I… I think I'm much further than that." She lifted her shirt slightly, showing a small bump that was hidden underneath. Ron gasped slightly then looked into her eyes.

"Are you… are you going to keep it?" he asked.

It was Hermione's turn to look confused. "Of course… why wouldn't I…"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because getting impregnated by being rape-"

"Ron!" she hissed, letting go of his hands and turning away from him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, it's true though!" he said, raising his voice.

She turned back around to face him, her mouth set in a hard line. "A baby shouldn't be killed because of that though-"

"Are you _kidding_ me?" he asked.

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She really didn't want to argue that conversational topic at the moment. "I think… I think we need to get Harry. And I need to talk to the both of you of what happened... what _really_ happened."

Ron nodded in agreement, shuffling his feet, not looking at her.

"And… I also need to speak with Malfoy."

Ron's head shot up. "Why?"

"Why? Because it's _his_ child."

"I don't think that's a good idea, 'Mione," he said, shaking his head.

"Why don't you think so?" she asked.

"Because he'll take the child from you, you know that right? That's his precious _heir_ ," Ron spat, motioning to her stomach.

Hermione shook her head, placing a protective hand on her abdomen unconsciously. "No, he won't. I won't let him. He'll have visitations, of course, but he will not be keeping the baby away from it's mother," she stated.

Ron scoffed. "Yeah, well, don't tell me I didn't warn you."

Hermione huffed back at him and swirled on her feet out of the room.

"Where are you going?" he asked, following.

"I'm going to Floo call Harry and have him come over," she stated, grabbing a handful of powder.

"Wait…" he said, grabbing on her wrist lightly. He waited until she looked up at him. His voice was softer when he spoke. "Hermione, please. Let's just… before we bring anyone else into this, can we talk about it more? Maybe, come up with a plan, so to speak?"

Hermione sighed, replacing the powder in it's container. "Alright, fine. But can we at least order in first? I'm _starving_."

* * *

They talked as they ate and an hour later, their floo roared to life and Harry stepped into their flat.

"Hey," he said, brushing the soot off his clothes before making his way over to the couch, sitting next to Hermione as Ron flanked her other side. "I got your owl. It said you wanted to talk about something important?"

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. Well…"

Her voice caught in her throat and her eyes began to water again. Ron took her hand into his and intertwined their fingers. "Do you want me to?"

She shook her head. "No. No, I'll do it."

Harry watched with a perplexed expression, his emerald eyes going back and forth between his two best friends. "What's going on? Are you alright, 'Mione?"

Hermione let out a watery chuckle. "I suppose, all things considered," she muttered.

Harry waited a few moments and when neither spoke, he started to get worried. "Can someone please tell me what's going on?"

"Alright, alright," said Hermione. "But you have to promise to not say anything until I'm done."

Harry nodded, urging her to start.

"I'm pregnant," she said.

Harry opened his mouth to speak but she held up a finger. "You promised. No talking."

Harry shut his mouth quickly and nodded again, a wide smile across his face.

"I'm about four months along," she said, and watched as Harry's expression turned to confusion.

"It's not Ron's," she said quietly.

"But… who's?"

Hermione glared at him, and he shut his mouth with a snap.

"There's something that happened to me, while we were at Malfoy Manor, after we got caught," she said, looking down at her hands-they were shaking. Ron was still holding onto one and Harry reached over and held the other. She smiled and sniffled, getting the courage from her friends to continue.

"You two were in the cellars while Bellatrix was tor-torturing me... You know about the carving in my arm because the scars won't go away, but that wasn't all. Afterwards, she… she f-f-forced Malfoy… Draco, I mean, not his father to, um… " she closed her eyes a tear slipped out. She felt both boys hands grip hers tightly.

"She forced him to…" she stumbled over what words to say. "to... sexually assault me," she said quietly.

"Oh Hermione," Harry whispered, pulling her to him. She let the tears spill as he held her, Ron's hand never leaving hers in the process. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I-I couldn't. I think I was in shock at first, not wanting to believe it happened. And then.. We were in a battle, and I didn't want either of you to worry about me."

"But afterwards, 'Mione. Why not after?" Harry asked.

"Because telling you both would just cause unnecessary stress and more hate towards Malfoy. He was as much of a victim as I was." She heard Ron scoff and she lifted her head to face him, squeezing his hand. "Ron, it's true. Bellatrix _imperiused_ him. He couldn't _help_ it. He was… crying. And saying sorry over and over until she forced him stop talking."

She wiped her eyes, sitting up a little bit. "After the war, there was so much going on, with funerals, and meetings, and getting Hogwarts and the Ministry back in order that honestly, when I missed a few cycles, I just thought it was normal. But.. the other day…." she trailed off, placing a hand on her abdomen. "My pants wouldn't fit. I had to enlarge them slightly… and my breasts-"

Harry cleared his throat, fidgeting uncomfortably.

Hermione flushed slightly. "Sorry."

"And you're sure it's Malfoy's?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded, stating the same facts that she had told Ron earlier.

"So, now what?" Harry said after they all sat in silence for a while.

"Well, I guess the next step is- talking to Malfoy," she said with a slight shrug.

Harry glanced over at Ron, who's face had hardened, but nodded in agreement. Harry looked back at Hermione. "Do you want us to go with you?"

She shook her head. "I appreciate the offer, but no. This is something I need to do on my own."

"You know we're here for you," he said. "You don't have to do this alone."

She looked between Ron and Harry, a smile forming on her face. "I know. But as I told Ron earlier, it will be less stressful if it's just me there."

Harry nodded. "Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me."

She smiled at him. "I will Harry. Thank you." She kissed his cheek before he stood up to leave. "Oh, um, can you tell Ginny for me? I don't feel like explaining it all over again," she said tiredly.

Harry smiled. "I'll let her know. Let me know how the meeting with Malfoy goes, yeah?"

She nodded, waving slightly as he stepped into the floo and disappeared back to Grimmauld Place.

"When are you going to talk to Malfoy?" asked Ron.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. I was going to owl him tonight and tell him that I need to speak to him and set up a time."

Ron nodded before standing up. "Well, I'll let you write your owl. I'm going to shower and then maybe we can watch a little bit of telly?"

Hermione nodded absently. Ron bent down and kissed her cheek. "I love you, 'Mione."

She closed her eyes. "I love you too, Ron."

When the redhead disappeared into the bathroom, Hermione finally got up to get a piece of parchment and began writing a letter to the father of her child.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So... thoughts? I love input!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_Dear Malfoy,_

 _I need to request a meeting with you at your earliest convenience to talk about something rather important.  
_ _Please owl me back as soon as possible with a date and time._

 _Regards,  
_ _Hermione Granger._

Draco Malfoy read the letter a few times by the flame of his study's fireplace. What did Granger want with _him_? He thought for sure, or rather hoped, that after the War that they would never lay eyes on each other again.

"Draco?" came a soft voice. He looked up to see his mother, draped in a robe of green silk and standing at the threshold of his study. Her long blond hair was held back with a loose hair tie at the nape of her neck. "Is everything alright? You look troubled."

He held out the letter to her. "I received an owl."

"Oh?" she asked, taking the parchment. She read it over and her brows creased together slightly. "Hermione Granger? What would she want to meet with you about?"

Draco shrugged. "I'm not sure." He took the letter back, reading the words once more, looking for any clues. He met the eyes of his worried mother. "Do you think I should meet with her?"

Narcissa pursed her lips and nodded. "Why not have her over for tea tomorrow? The gardens are lovely right now and this way she won't have to be in the Manor if it will make her uncomfortable."

Draco nodded absently. He knew that she would probably prefer to not be here at all, but with his house arrest until his trial, there wasn't any other option. He closed his eyes tight then looked at his mother again. "Do you think she wants to talk about… about what happened that night?"

Narcissa contemplated that that idea. "That could be one reason why she's wants to see you, yes."

Draco groaned as he slumped into his desk chair. "I was kind of hoping we wouldn't have to discuss that… _ever_."

His mother placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. "She may need closure, darling. And I think, you do too."

He thought about that and sighed again. "Fine. I'll see if she's available tomorrow."

Narcissa leaned down and kissed the top of her son's head before leaving his study so he could write his letter in private.

 _Granger,  
_ _Would tomorrow at 2pm be good for you? The gardens at the manor are in full bloom and we could talk outside.  
_ _If that does not work, let me know, otherwise, no need to respond.  
_

 _Regards,  
_ _D. Malfoy_

He sealed the letter with wax and sent it off with his owl, Hercules.

As he walked from his study to his bedroom, he couldn't help but wonder if there was _anything_ else could she possibly want to talk about; anything except that dreadful day. Maybe it was something Ministry related and she was assigned to his case? Yes, that was plausible, probably unlikely, but plausible nonetheless. With a nod to himself that that _was_ what Granger needed, he went into his bedroom and stripped down to his boxers before crawling to bed.

That night, he dreamed the same dream he had dreamt for months: Him, towering over Granger, as tears ran down her face while he pounded into her, all while his crazy, maniac of an Aunt was in the background, cackling with glee.

* * *

Hermione apparated to the front of the Manor gates just as the rain started to pour. _So much for having tea outside_ , she grumbled to herself. She opened up the umbrella that was already in her hand and noticed that the gates were already opened for her. She walked briskly up the walk towards the entrance, being mindful to not slip or fall into the mud.

When she reached the door, she closed her umbrella slightly and shook it, before closing it up all the way and placing it inside her charmed bag.

She took a deep breath then knocked sharply upon one of the double doors.

She only waited a few seconds before the door opened. She expected to see a house elf and was surprised when Draco answered instead.

"Afternoon Granger," Draco said stiffly.

"Afternoon," she said, glancing at him briefly before looking away.

Narcissa appeared behind Draco. "Aren't you going to invite her in, dear?"

He closed his eyes for a long blink, before taking a breath. "Come in," he said, stepping aside to let Hermione walk through the threshold.

Narcissa held out her hand to Hermione. "Hello Miss Granger."

"Oh," said Hermione, taking the elder woman's hand and giving a small shake. "Um, hello, Mrs. Malfoy."

Narcissa waved a hand. "Please, call me Narcissa."

Hermione looked at her nervously. "If it's alright with you, I think I will stick to Mrs. Malfoy, at least for now."

The Malfoy matriarch smiled at her and gave her a small nod while Draco watched, finally clearing his throat irritatedly to get attention.

"Well, I won't take up anymore of your time, Miss Granger." Narcissa said airily. "You're here to talk to Draco, correct?"

Hermione flushed slightly and nodded, looking between the two Malfoy's. "Yes, there's some important- _things_ , to discuss."

Draco nodded. "So your letter said. Is this about my case?" he queried hopefully, leading the way into the manor as his mother went in a different direction for their privacy.

"Your case?" she asked dumbly.

 _Damn_. Draco feigned her a questionable look anyways. "Is that not why you're here?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, um, I'm here because…" she glanced at him, then looked away, biting her lip nervously.

Draco could sense her hesitation and nervousness and he just _knew_ she was here about that night. Not wanting to get into that subject just yet, he said, "Let's have some tea. I'm afraid the weather put a halt on our initial plans to have it in the gardens though, so I hope this is ok?"

Hermione nodded numbly, following him into a bright and airy room, decorated with lots of white, cream, and pastel colors.

Hermione felt quite comfortable in this room, especially with the windows open and the smell of rain surrounding them. It was a stark contrast from the last time she had been at the Manor.

"Sugar?" offered Draco, pulling her out of her thoughts, as he poured the hot liquid into two tea cups.

"Oh, um, yes please," she said as she watched the young man before her make her tea. She wondered briefly if he had house elves anymore, but decided not to comment on it.

Hermione thanked him quiety before taking a delicate sip.

"Is it to your liking?" he inquired, stirring sugar into his own.

"Yes, thank you, it's perfect." She took another sip of her tea, and waited until he was done tending to his own before she spoke again. "So, the reason why I needed to talk to you was because… well…" she stalled, taking another sip of her tea. She glanced up to see a pair of steel grey eyes watching her carefully, and, she noticed, with some hesitation as well.

Hermione sighed, deciding it was best to just say it quickly - much like ripping off a bandaid. "I'm pregnant."

Draco frowned in both confusion and irritation. "Congratulations?"

"I'm… I'm around four months along," she added, glancing at Draco, watching for his reaction.

She saw his eyes flicker down as if trying to think of something. When it clicked, he looked up at her, his face void of any emotion; he had put up a wall, she realized. "Are you _sure_?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes."

He shut his eyes and as he shook his head slightly. " _Fuck_.." he mumbled under his breath, though it didn't go unnoticed to the curly haired witch across from him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down briefly before she straightened her back and added, "I just.. I thought it was pertinent that you should know."

Draco opened his eyes and looked at her. "What are _you_ sorry for? You were the one who was... who my aunt made me..." He ran a hand through his hair, cursing softly. "I'm the one who should apologize."

"Malfoy you are just as innocent as I am. You had no control," she said strongly.

"Yes, however, it wasn't your relative forcing you upon someone against their will, was it? So for that, I apologize." He chanced a glance towards her, his eyes flickering down to her stomach for less than a second. "Are you planning to…" he motioned his head in the general direction of her abdomen.

"Keep it?" offered Hermione. At his nod, she nodded back. "Yes."

The tension in his shoulder relaxed, but only just. "When did you find out?"

"Only yesterday," she said. At his incredulous look, she huffed out a breath. "It's true. I haven't had a monthly cycle since the war. I figured it was due to stress."

Draco ran his hand through his blonde hair once more before finally standing up and walking over to a window. "OK, so where do we go from here?"

"I'm not really sure, honestly."

He turned back around and looked at her with a hardened expression. "Do you _want_ anything?"

Hermione's cheeks tinged pink and anger flashed in her eyes. She shook her head. "No. I didn't come here to get money from you, Malfoy. I just-I wanted to let you know. You can be part of the child's life or not, that decision is up to you, but I'm keeping the baby."

Draco sat down again. "Of course I want to be part of the child's life. I am the father, after all." And that moment, he knew that was the truth.

"Ok. Well, good," was all Hermione managed to say.

He rested his forearms on his knees, leaning forward slightly. "Who all knows?"

"Ron. I told him first," she said.

Draco held in the winced, though barely. "Perhaps it's a good thing I'm under house arrest. I won't be able to get pummeled by the _Weasel_ in public."

She gave him a stern look. "It's Weas- _ley_ or Ron, please. He is my boyfriend after all."

Draco made a noncommittal noise but didn't say anything else.

Hermione shook her head at him. "Anyway, he's not happy about it, I admit. But, I explained it wasn't your fault. He's begrudgingly ok with it. Harry knows and probably Ginny at this point too."

Draco looked away with slight unease in his eyes, unsure of what to say.

She cleared her throat, needing to get down to business. "I do, however, want to talk to you about custody. I know this child will be your heir, but don't think for one minute that I will be handing over the child once he or she is born."

His eyes landed on hers again. Now it was his turn to tamper down his anger. "I wouldn't do that."

She looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Good. Because even if you did, I wouldn't let you."

They sat in awkward silence, the tension in the room almost palpable before Draco asked, "Do you know what it-the baby- is yet?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. However, I have a prenatal medi-witch appointment on Monday morning at 8 to check on the baby. If… if you wish you come, you can."

He was about to nod, then groaned inwardly before shaking his head. "I can't. House arrest, remember?"

"Oh, right... " she said, looking away and biting the inside of her cheek and tried to think of a solution. She gasped slightly, looking at him. "What if we do the appointment _here_? At the manor? I was already going to have the appointment at my flat, but we can change it to here, I'm sure."

If he was shocked by her proposal, he hid it well. Instead, he gave an indifferent shrug. "I wouldn't be opposed to it."

Hermione nodded, determined. "We can hold all the appointments here, if that's alright? At least until your trial if over, then we can make other arrangements," she said. "But I prefer to have them either at my place or here. There are too many nosey reporters that hang around St. Mungo's these days, looking for a juicy story."

Draco nodded his head stiffly in agreement. "Who all is going to be at Monday's appointment?"

"Besides the Mediwitch and us, probably Ron."

Draco raised a brow. "Do you _honestly_ think he'll come here? Better yet, do you think he'll actually agree to have _all_ the appointments here?"

Hermione shrugged. "It's not really his decision. He and I may be together, but this baby is _yours_ and if you want to be at the appointments, then we'll make it work."

Draco was actually impressed with the witch. Not many would go against their partners wishes like this. He finally nodded. "Alright. So, eight on Monday?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes."

* * *

They tried small talk for another ten minutes before the awkwardness got the better of Hermione and she said she needed to be going. He adjusted his floo wards so that she could floo home and call him if she needed anything.

When she left, he poured himself two fingers of Firewhiskey into a tumbler, then downed it one gulp.

"Drinking before dinner, Draco?" came his mother's cool response as she walked into the room.

"Trust me, it's needed," he said, pouring himself another glass.

Narcissa watched as Draco drank the contents, this time a bit slower.

"I take it the meeting with Miss Granger didn't go well?"

Draco chuckled as he looked into his tumber. "Oh, it went well enough. Awkward as hell, but for the first time since we have known each other, we didn't argue or get into a yelling match."

"Then can you explain to me why you're drinking a third glass of Odgen's Finest right after talking to her?" she asked, slightly exasperated.

Draco looked straight into mother's eyes. "Because, _congratulations_ , you're to be a grandmother."

* * *

 _ **A/N: First all, thank you all so much all the revives and follows/favorites so far with just the first chapter! I'm everyone is enjoying and intrigued with the story so far. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter as well. It's awkward, to say the least. I'll try and update Chapter 3 in a few days time. Much Hufflepuff love to you all! ~HufflepuffMommy**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Slightly shorter chapter, but I still really like it :) Hope you all do as well! Enjoy! ~ HufflepuffMommy**_

* * *

Narcissa Malfoy was always known for holding in her emotions and nothing ever surprised her; or if it did, she didn't show it. However, when Draco told her that he was expecting a child, by Hermione Granger no less, her mask slipped and she regarded her son with wide eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"You know _exactly_ what I mean," Draco said, downing his third drink. He placed his tumbler down as he paced. "Due to the circumstances that happened at the manor four months ago, I impregnanted Hermione Granger."

Narcissa felt light headed as she sat down on the plush sofa. "Is she... Is she absolutely sure?"

"That she's pregnant or that it's mine? Because the answer to both is yes." Draco responded, barely holding in the snark.

Narcissa straightened her spine. "You will need to demand paternity, just in case."

Draco nodded. "I planned on it. She has a prenatal medi-witch appointment on Monday. It's going to take place here, at the manor."

For the second time that day, Narcissa's eyes widened in surprise. "Here?"

"She offered to let me attend the appointment, and since I cannot leave the manor, that was the only solution."

Narcissa nodded. "Yes, of course. That was very accommodating of her." She stood up, a look of determination in her eyes. "I'll get one of the spare rooms ready. We can hold her appointments there and it can also be hers to stay in, if she wishes."

"Mother, she isn't moving in. She's with Weasley," Draco informed.

"All the same. I'd like to have a room here for her if she wishes to use it. And I suppose we'll need to set up a nursery as well…"

"Let's just wait until after the appointment before we get carried away," Draco said tiredly. "For all we know, this could be a misunderstanding and she's carrying multiples of Weasley's spawn."

Draco wished he was so lucky.

* * *

When Hermione walked through the floo into her flat, Ron immediately started bombarding her with questions. She told him what was said as they made their way to the kitchen; she was hungry and feeling slightly nauseous since the meeting had ended.

"You agreed to _what_ now?" Ron asked incredulously.

"I said we're going to have the prenatal appointments at his place, until his house arrest is over with," she said as she made herself a peanut butter, marshmallow, and banana sandwich.

"Why on earth would you agree to do that, 'Mione?" he asked, taking a banana for himself and peeling it.

"I didn't _agree_ to anything," she said, taking a bite of her snack. "I was the one who suggested it. It's his child, Ron, he should be able to attend the appointments if he wishes."

"Well, if he hadn't gone and gotten himself branded by Voldemo-"

"Ronald," she said, closing her eyes, trying to reign in her temper. "Please, just… don't start, ok? We've been over this."

Ron huffed out a breath, taking another bite of his banana.

They ate in silence for a moment before Ron spoke again. "Am I at least allowed to attend the appointment? I know I'm not the father, but I'd still like to be there."

Hermione smiled at him and placed a hand over his. "Of course you are. You're my boyfriend and part of my life."

"And is Malfoy ok with me coming?" he asked wearily.

Hermione nodded. "I told him you would probably come and he didn't argue." She finished off her sandwich. "I need to go write to Healer Clearwater and let her know of the changes of the appointment location. Are you heading into the shop today?"

Ron nodded, tossing his banana peel in the rubbish bin. "Yeah, I told George I'd be in after you got back from a meeting. I better go before he sends me a howler." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you later."

* * *

Monday morning came all too quick for everyone involved.

Draco paced the entry room fireplace while Narcissa made orders to the house elves to make sure everything was ready for their guests.

"It's not a party, Mother, it's just a mediwitch appointment," Draco said, glancing at the clock again. Five minutes until eight.

"Yes darling, I know, but I figured since it was so early we might as well have breakfast afterwards."

Draco nearly rolled his eyes at his mother as she flowed out of the room, but his upbringing wouldn't allow it. His attention was diverted however, when the floo charm went off indicating someone was arriving. He casually sat down on one of the plush chairs as Hermione, then Ron, stepped through.

"Morning Granger, Weasley," he said cordially from his seated position.

"Good morning," said Hermione, reaching for Ron's hand. She gave it a squeeze when he didn't say anything, then he looked up and nodded.

"Yeah, morning," he sighed, then perked up. "Do I smell bacon?"

"Oh I hope you don't mind," said Narcissa, as she glided into the room again. "Since we were meeting so early I was hoping we could have a bit of breakfast afterwards."

"That's very kind of you," Hermione said, "but I'm not sure we'll be able to stay very long. We both have to get to work at the Ministry, you see, and-"

"Oh, that will be no problem at all. I'll just have the House Elves pack you some food to go then. I'll be right back."

Hermione was about to object when the floo charm went off again and Healer Penelope Clearwater stepped through.

"Good morning," she said, adjusting her shoulder bag. "Sorry I'm a touch late, there was an emergency with one of my patients."

Draco glanced at the clock as he finally stood up. "Actually, you're right on time."

"Oh, well… that's good," Penelope said. She looked around the entry room. "Is this where the appointment will take place? If so, Hermione, why don't you take a seat on the sofa and make yourself comfortable."

Hermione took one step before Narcissa re-entered the room once more. "That won't be necessary. We have a room all set up for the appointment. If you will all just follow me, please." She turned and walked gracefully out of the room. Ron, Hermione, and Penelope all looked at each other before Draco said, "After you," motioning with his hand to follow his mother.

Penelope followed after Narcissa, with Hermione and Ron close behind. Draco brought up the rear, his hands clasped behind his back.

When they reached the second door on the right of the second floor, they found a moderate size room, complete with a four poster, king size bed, a vanity, wardrobe, and soft, plush sofa in the color of dark red. In fact, most of the colors in the room were either a variation of red or gold. Hermione glanced after at Draco, who merely shrugged.

"I do hope this room will suit your needs, Healer Clearwater," Narcissa said.

Penelope nodded. "Yes this will do just fine. Hermione, why don't you sit down on the sofa over there and we'll get started."

Ron squeezed Hermione's hand reassuringly before letting go. He sat on the edge of the bed until he saw that Draco and Narcissa were still standing, so he did the same.

Hermione sat on the sofa, which was more comfortable than she imagined, and Penelope began taking her vitals.

"Blood pressure is a touch high, but I think that's understandable under these circumstances," she said, glancing around the room. "We'll just keep an eye on it, ok?"

Hermione nodded, taking calming breath.

"Everything else seems to be fine. Why don't you lay down and we'll check on the baby?"

Another nod, and Hermione laid down on the sofa, lifting her shirt slightly up. Penelope felt around her abdomen, pushing gently. "I'd say from where your uterus is positioned, that you're about 4 months along."

"How can you tell?" asked Ron. The other people looked at him and he flushed slightly. "Sorry, I'm just... curious, is all."

Penelope gave him a reassuring smile. "It's ok. You see, right now, when I press on Hermione's abdomen, I can feel the top of her uterus is above her pelvic bone. Usually, when a woman is very early in the pregnancy, it will be much lower."

Ron nodded, but didn't say anything else, feeling slightly embarrassed, and slightly disappointed.

Penelope mumbled a spell under her breath then hovered the tip of her wand over Hermione. The room was quiet until they heard the _whooshing_ sound of a heartbeat.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Is that….?"

Penelope smiled at her and nodded. "That's the baby, yes. Heart rate is about 155 beats per minute and sounds very healthy."

Hermione nodded, her eyes watering.

Draco stood very still, listening with rapt attention.

"Would you like to see the baby?" Penelope asked.

Hermione looked over at Draco to confirm and with his quick nod, she said yes.

Another spell fell from Penelope's lips and an image formed above Hermione's abdomen.

The baby was curled up in a tight ball, it's fist in its mouth.

Ron's mouth opened slightly as he took a step forward. "Blimey," he whispered.

Draco froze in his spot, unable to move or speak. His eyes locked on Hermione's.

"Can we do a paternity test?" he asked.

Penelope nodded. "Yes, I suspected that might be requested. I just need a drop of blood from you," she said, indicating to Draco.

Draco nodded, stepping forward to give Penelope his hand. She used her wand to prick his palm, gather a drop of blood, and heal it.

She did the same with Hermione, and then, with delicate magic, the same from the baby within her.

Each drop of blood was placed in a separate vial.

"I'll do the test between Hermione and the baby, just to show it works. Then we'll test the paternity. If for some reason it doesn't match his, we'll test for you, Ron, ok?"

Ron nodded as he watched Penelope tap the first two vials. They both glowed a faint yellow color.

"That mean's it's a match," she explained.

She tapped the middle vial and then third one.

It too, glowed yellow.

Penelope looked over at Hermione and nodded. A tear fell from the brunette's lashes as she looked at Ron, shaking her head.

Ron's eyes brimmed with tears and turned slightly bloodshot. He wiped them quickly and nodded.

Draco opened his mouth to speak, but found that his voice wouldn't come. He cleared his throat softly. "Does this mean that…that the baby is mine?"

"Yes," said Hermione quietly, looking over at him.

Penelope flicked her wand and the vials disappeared.

"Since you're much further along than most first prenatal visits, I'm going to need to do a few measurements on the baby, if you don't mind."

Hermione nodded. Ron excused himself to the bathroom as a tape-measure protruded from Penelope's wand and began taking measurements of the baby.

Narcissa procured two chairs, one for herself and one for Draco, who scooted his closer to to the sofa as Penelope explained what she was measuring and why.

After about thirty minutes, Ron back in the room, this time sitting on edge of the bed, and looking slightly dejected, Penelope said, "Well, that's about all of it. Unless you want to know the gender?"

Hermione bit her lip and looked to Draco.

"It's up to you," he said quietly.

Hermione looked back at Penelope. "No more surprises. I want to know."

With a nod, Penelope moved the image of the baby around some more. Draco shifted in his seat, while Hermione continued to bit her lip. Ron looked up from where he was from the bed and Narcissa still sat in her chair, poised as ever.

"It's a boy," Penelope announced.

The next thing everyone heard was a mumbled profanity followed by a flash of red hair leaving the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Penelope Clearwater finished up the appointment with a reminder to Hermione to drink lots of fluids, eat smaller meals throughout the day to keep the nausea at bay, and that she'll send her an owl with the next appointment date.

Narcissa walked Penelope back down to the entry room, leaving Draco and Hermione alone.

"You don't have to wait for me," Hermione said, gathering her cloak and bag. "I know how to get back to the floo."

Draco shook his head. "If it's all the same, I'd rather not get an earful from my mother if I don't walk you out."

Hermione sighed, resigned. "Fine, I guess." She walked towards the door and didn't look to see if Draco was following.

He stepped in line with her within moments.

"Is there a reason that room looks like the Gryffindor common room threw up in there?" she asked.

"Mother was just trying to make you comfortable. She wasn't sure of your favorite color so she chose your Hogwarts house colors," he stated.

"Oh… that's very nice of her, I suppose," she said. "But why a whole room for the appointment? The couch downstairs would have been just fine."

Draco stopped at the top of the stairs and faced Hermione. "She's trying to be hospitable, Granger. She wanted you to have a room here, if you decide to use it, whenever you wish."

"You mean like... move in?" she squeaked.

"I told her that wouldn't happen, but if for some reason you find yourself in a need of a place to stay... you have one here."

"Oh," she said, as she followed Draco down the stairs.

They reached the entry room and Draco stood back while Hermione grabbed a handful of floo powder. Before tossing it onto the hearth, however, she turned to face him. "Purple," she said.

Draco raised one thin, blond brow. "Excuse me?"

"My favorite color. It's purple," she said.

Understanding, he gave a small nod. "I'll make sure to pass along that information to my mother."

A house elf popped up with two boxes in it's hands. "The missus wanted Millie to make sure you had plenty of breakfast, miss," she said, handing them to Hermione.

"Thank you, Millie," said Hermione politely to the elf. Then she looked at Draco as she stepped into the fireplace. "I'll let you know the date of the next appointment as soon I can."

Draco nodded before Hermione called out her residence and she disappeared with a flash of green.

* * *

She knew she should have gone straight to the Ministry, as planned, but Hermione needed to make sure Ron was ok. She hoped he was at her flat, but when she arrived, it was empty.

She sighed as she put the food she obtained from Malfoy Manor into the refrigerator, then went back to the fireplace to floo to Ministry, hoping she'd be able to talk to Ron at some point today.

Everyone had been surprised when Hermione Granger opted to start working at the Ministry right away after the war, rather than go back to Hogwarts to finish off her 7th year. She did, however, take her N.E.W.T.S. tests in early July, which she passed each subject brilliantly. She tried to persuade Ginny to return to Hogwarts, but the redhead was adamant that she was done with school. She promised her family she would sit and take the N.E.W.T.S. with her fellow classmates at the end of the school year, which would leave her time to pursue her dream: playing for the Holyhead Harpies. She got her chance to try out right before Harry's birthday and was signed on as backup Chaser for the year.

Though Hermione had only been working at the Ministry for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for a few months, she already had an office to herself. This was mostly do to the fact that whenever she was spotted, people wanted to stop and talk to her, which would then disrupt her work. After many complaints, the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, gave her an office which alleviated the majority of the disruption.

She almost wished she had the distraction today though, as she seemed to be reading the same line in her proposal for House Elf Rights over and over without absorbing it. With a sigh, she set the paper aside and rested her head on her desk.

A light knock on her door jolted her. She looked up to see Harry smiling awkwardly at her. "Sorry, 'Mione. Just came to see how your appointment went. Can I come in?"

Hermione smiled back. "Sure, close the door though. I don't want anyone eavesdropping."

Harry entered her office and closed the door before he sat down in one of the two chairs across from her desk. "So what happened?" he asked.

Hermione sighed. "Are you asking about the appointment, or Ron?"

"A little bit of both…. But tell me about the appointment first, then we'll get to Ron."

Hermione bit her lip. "The appointment went well, if it not a bit awkward, though that was expected. My mediwitch, Penelope Clearwater, you remember her right? Well, she said that everything looks good and the baby seems healthy. Malfoy asked for a paternity test, which was to be expected." She placed an absent hand on her abdomen. "It came out positive for Malfoy. The look on Ron's face… I told him not to give in to hoping the baby was his, but this just confirmed it and I think it broke his heart." She wiped a lone tear that slide down her cheek, then smiled. "We got to see him though. He looks adorable already."

"Him?" asked Harry, both eyebrows raised.

"Yes. I wanted to find out the gender as I'm tired of all the surprises of this whole situation."

"I don't blame you," he said. "How did Malfoy react?"

"Oh, you know Malfoy, always hiding his emotions. But he seemed attentive, especially after he had proof that the baby was his."

She looked down at her stomach again. "Am I a horrible person… for being excited about this baby?"

Harry shook his head. "No, of course not, that's _your_ baby, Hermione. You have every right to be excited about it."

Hermione sniffled, then buried her face in her hands as she started to sob. Harry came around the desk and pulled her into a hug.

"I just (hic) I feel so many mixed emotions right (hic) now. I'm excited to have the baby but I'm devastated that it's not with (hic) Ron. I'm afraid he (hic) hates me."

"Shh. You know that's not possible. Ron could never hate you. He loves you," Harry said.

Hermione looked up at him, eyes red from crying. "Then why did he run out of the appointment after he found out the baby was a boy? I haven't been able to talk to him all day since then."

"I'll talk to him, see if I can bring him 'round and have him come find you," Harry said.

Normally, Hermione wouldn't let Harry get in the middle of this, but she was just too damn tired and exhausted to even argue. She gave a nod, then sat back down in her chair while Harry returned to his seat.

"I actually have some news myself," Harry said, and this time, Hermione lifted a brow.

"We finally heard back on when Malfoy's trial will be," he said, slightly hesitantly.

"Oh… when is it?" she asked.

"Two weeks," he said with a sigh.

"Two weeks?! That's not nearly enough time for him to get ready! I don't even think he has a lawyer set up yet. I should write to him and-"

"I'm going to testify for him," Harry stated.

"You… what?" asked Hermione, confused.

"I'm going to testify for him. Tell the court why I don't think Malfoy should go to Azkaban."

Hermione regarded him cautiously. "You're not doing this because of the baby… are you?"

Harry shook his head quickly. "No, no. I had already decided to testify for him before all of this came to light. But, I did want to talk to you about that…. Since I'll be testifying for him, your pregnancy should really remain a secret until after the trial. This way, the judges won't think the same thing you just did."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I agree. I actually need to talk to Malfoy and see what or how we should go about this with the press. I can't hide the pregnancy, or the fact that Malfoy has an heir, from the Wizarding World for forever."

"Well, I'll let you handle the details regarding that particular situation with Malfoy himself. And like you said, no, he hasn't contacted a lawyer yet, so the Ministry will appoint one for him. I'm going to choose one, actually, and then we'll meet with Malfoy later this week to discuss the trial. I just wanted to let you know incase he says anything."

"Do you think it would help if I testified too?" she asked.

"Honestly, I don't know, " he said, his eyes flickering to her stomach. "I'll think about it and get back to you, ok?"

Hermione nodded. "Ok." She looked around at all the paperwork on her desk. "I should probably start working, I suppose. I haven't been able to really focus today, but now that I've talked to someone about the appointment, I think my distractedness is finally over."

Harry smiled. "I'll let you get to it, then. And 'Mione? Don't worry about Ron. I'm sure he's just mulling things over."

Hermione smiled back, hoping it was convincing enough. "I hope so, Harry. I really do."

* * *

Later that evening, as Hermione sat on her sofa and watched some telly, she couldn't help but glance over at the fireplace every now and again. She had seen Ron briefly at the end of the workday and asked if he was coming over that night. All she got in return was a shrug and an "I dunno" before he kissed her cheek and floo'd to the Burrow. She should have followed him, but she also didn't want to start an argument either, especially if Harry was right and all Ron needed to do was take some time to think things over.

Unable to keep her eyes open any longer, she clicked off the telly and turned off the lights in the living room before heading to her bedroom.

Though she was worried about Ron, sleep found her easily until the bed dipped next to her and a strong arm circled around her waist.

Ron snuggled up against her back and kissed her neck. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, willing the tears to not fall. _Damn these hormones_ , she thought.

"Why did you run off like that?" she whispered back.

"I just.. I don't know. Getting confirmation that Malfoy was the father was painful. But finding the baby was a boy? That was like twisting the knife," he said quietly.

"Would you have been this upset if the baby were a girl?" she asked.

"Probably not as bad, no. I think with a boy, it's just… well, he'll continue the Malfoy name. Take over the Malfoy business, whatever that is, and just.. I don't know. I keep picturing another blond hair git, bullying muggleborns at Hogwarts, then realize, that that git is _your_ child, and I feel horrible thinking that way about some kid that isn't even born yet."

"A girl can take over the business too, you know," she said.

Ron chuckled. "Trust me, I know. But with a boy… I don't know, it seems different. When he marries, he'll still be Malfoy. At least with a girl, her last name will change."

"Not necessarily," Hermione said, finally turning to her other side to face him. "I've told you before that I don't plan on getting rid of my last name whenever I marry."

Ron sighed and pressed his forehead against hers. "I know. I don't how to explain it, except, that maybe, it's a jealousy thing, I suppose. I wanted to have children with you. I wanted to have a son with you. And a daughter. But instead, you're having Malfoy's son and it just… it made me so mad and hurt today that I didn't know what to do."

"I'm sorry," she said, snuggling into him. "I'm not sure what else I can say, honestly. I don't want you to feel jealous over this baby. I want you to be happy with me. You'll be part of his life too, you know."

"I know," he said. He gathered her up and rested his chin on her head.

They fell asleep soon after, nothing really resolved, but at least, they were together, and at that moment, that's all that mattered.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thank you all for reading and leaving reviews. I gives me the motivation to write!**_  
 _ **Also, you can follow me on Facebook at HufflepuffMommy/**_


	5. Chapter 5

A few days passed and while things between Ron and Hermione were better, Ron was still a little more distant than normal. He was still staying most nights and spending the majority of his free time with her but whenever she brought up the pregnancy or baby, he would shut down or leave, saying he needed to do something.

Harry and Ginny came by on Friday evening for their usual dinner get together. Harry and Hermione talked about Draco's case at the dining table afterwards, while Ron and Ginny played Wizard's Chess in the living room.

"So, how are things with Ron?" Harry asked, as he set aside a paper for Hermione to read. She decided not to testify, just in case the pregnancy _did_ leak out. However, that wasn't stopping her from helping with the case by editing any documents and testimonials Harry planned to give, making sure he didn't forget any crucial detail.

Hermione shrugged. "Alright, I suppose. He's his normal self, until I bring up the baby, then he tunes me out or leaves."

"He'll come around," said Harry.

Hermione just shrugged.

A tap on the window pulled her attention away from the documents.

"Wonder who that's from?" asked Harry, going over to the window.

Hermione watched as the Eagle owl swooped into the room. "It's from Malfoy," she said as the elegant owl landed in front of her. She stroked the top of his head before he offered his leg, a note tied to it.

Harry went over to the kitchen counter where the owl treat jar was located, picked out a treat, and offered it to the owl while Hermione untied the letter. With a hoot of gratitude, it swooped back out of the window.

"What does it say?" Harry asked, seeing Hermione's bewildered face.

She handed the letter over to him.

 _Granger,_

 _How would you feel about coming to manor once a week for dinner? Mother's idea. She says we need to get to know each other since we're soon to be parents together. I suppose she might have a point._

 _Let me know what day would work for you. Weasley is invited as well, if he wishes._

 _Regards,_

 _D.M._

Harry hummed in thought. "I suppose it _is_ a good idea…"

"What's a good idea?" asked Ginny as she and Ron wandered back into the kitchen.

"Malfoy wants Hermione and Ron to go over there for weekly dinners," Harry said.

"What!?" Ron said incredulously. He snatched the letter from Harry, then scoffed, tossing it onto the table. "Thanks, but I'd rather chew off my own arm than go to the manor every bloody week. It's bad enough we have to go there for all the appointments-"

Hermione stood up quickly, causing her chair to scrape against the floor. "You don't _have_ to come, Ronald, if it's so inconvenient for you. I, on the other hand, will be accepting his invitation to get to know each other better."

Hermione stormed out of the kitchen and Ginny punched Ron on the arm.

"Ow! Wench! What was that for?" Ron asked, rubbing his arm.

"Can you not be a prat, for like, five seconds and realize that what you're saying is hurting your girlfriend?" she hissed before leaving the kitchen to check on her friend.

Ron looked at Harry and motioned to his sister in a "can you believe her" way.

Harry held up his hands. "I'm not getting involved… but Ginny does have a point."

Ron went to argue but Harry stopped him. "Think about it Ron. She's pregnant. Yes, it's with Malfoy's baby, but the situation of how it occurred was pretty shitty for the _both_ of them. Now, she's trying to do the best that she can, but it's hard when all you do is bitch and moan about Malfoy."

Ron sighed, running a hand through his red hair. "I'm trying, mate, I really am. I just… I hate the fact that she's carrying _his_ child."

"It's _her_ child too, Ron. You need to remember that," said Harry, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

* * *

Ginny found Hermione in the small room she called her office. She was scribbling away a response to Malfoy, fighting back the urge to cry.

"My brother's a git," Ginny said, conjuring a chair and sitting next to her friend.

Hermione didn't agree or disagree, but kept writing. When she was done, she offered the letter for Ginny to read and give her seal of approval.

 _Malfoy,_

 _Your mother is a very smart woman and she is absolutely correct. I will gladly accept your invitation for weekly dinners at the manor. Once your trial is over, and your house arrest is complete, we can alternate between your place and mine for a change of pace. I'm sure you'll want to know where the baby will live when not in your care._

 _Thank you for offering Ron to attend as well. I'm sure he'll come every once in awhile, but not weekly._

 _The evenings I am free are Monday-Thursday and Saturdays. Fridays I have dinner with the Potters and Sunday with the Weasley family for brunch. Let me know which day works best for you._

 _Hope all is well._

 _Warm Regards,  
_ _Hermione_

"Sounds good," said Ginny, handing it back to her.

Hermione rolled the letter and tied it with twine before hand it back to Ginny. "Can you owl this for me when you get home? I'd ask Ron to use Pig but I don't want him throwing a fit over _that_ too," she said, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

"Of course, 'Mione," Ginny said, draping an arm across her shoulders. Hermione leaned her head against Ginny and sighed. "This wasn't how this was supposed to turn out," she said quietly.

"I know, love, I know. But, if anyone can pull through this, it's you. I mean, you dealt with Harry and Ron in the woods. For months. _Alone_. Surely a Malfoy offspring growing inside of you will be a piece of cake, right?"

Hermione giggled and Ginny joined in.

"Did someone mention cake?" asked Harry from the doorway.

Ginny looked over to him and smiled. "Inside joke. You ready to go? I have a letter to deliver for Hermione."

Harry nodded and he waited for the two girls to stand up before going over and hugging Hermione. "Don't let him get under your skin."

"I'm trying," she said, pulling away.

"He is too," Harry said quietly.

She smiled at that and nodded.

She sat back in her chair once Harry and Ginny left and glanced around the room, thinking quietly to herself.

A knock on the opened door pulled her attention in that direction. Ron was standing there, looking sheepish.

"Look, 'Mione, I'm sorry, I just-"

"I know, Ron," Hermione said with a sigh. "It's hard for you. I get that. It's hard for me too."

Ron nodded, walking into the room, his hands in his pockets.

Hermione leaned back, looking around the room again. "I suppose I'll have to fix this room up into a nursery," she mulled.

Ron looked around the room too. Small as it was, it was crammed full of bookshelves, except for her desk, which, while orderly, also had some books on it. "I can help you-if you want, that is?" he asked.

Hermione looked at him again and smiled. She stood up from the chair and went over to Ron, linked her hands behind his head and leaned in, kissing his softly. "I'd like that very much."

Ron grinned, kissing her back. "Yeah?"

"Oh yeah" she said, kissing him again, harder this time. His arms circled around her middle and as he lifted her, her legs wrapped around his waist.

In a flurry of hurried kisses, he walked them backwards out of the office towards her small bedroom. She giggled as he plopped her down on the bed then moaned slightly as he peeled off his t-shirt. He gave her a predatory look as he crawled onto the bed, making his way up her body. He kissed her lips, cheek, chin, the curve of her neck and behind her ear before he worked his way further.

"This blasted shirt needs to go," he said as his lips met the collar of her top.

She sat up slightly, letting him help her out of the offending material before lying back down.

Ron resumed his butterfly kisses down her neck, between her breasts before licking the underside of one, then the second, sending shivers down her back.

She closed her eyes and sighed in contentment as he made his way down her rib cage and reaching her navel. She loved this part. He always swirled his tongue in that particular spot but this time, he didn't.

In fact, he stopped doing anything all together.

She opened her eyes and peered over at him. A look of mild horror on his face.

"Ron? What's wrong?" she asked.

He swallowed the thick saliva that was coating his mouth then looked up at her, shaking his head. "I can't..."

"Can't? Can't what?" she asked, sitting up all the way. He backed off from her, now standing at the side of the bed.

"I just, I can't do it.. I want too, I really, _really_ want too, but…" he looked at her frown. "I don't want to hurt you… or… the baby…"

Hermione let out the breath that she was keeping in and chuckled softly. "Is that all?" She shook her head and smiled at him. "It's fine Ron. It's perfetly safe to have sex while carrying a child."

"But, won't the baby, you know… _feel_ me?" he asked.

"Oh Ron," Hermione said, giggling. "The baby is actually much further up then that. You don't have anything to worry about."

Ron's cheeks tinged pink. "Are you saying that I'm not, you know- _big_ enough?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not at all. I'm just saying that it's just not physically possible."

Ron huffed out a sigh, picking up his shirt from the floor.

Hermione looked at him questioningly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going home," he said. "I'm just… not in the mood anymore. Plus, work has been hectic and I'm bloody tired. I'll see you tomorrow."

Hermione looked at her boyfriend, dumbfounded and lost for words, even as he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

She didn't move from her spot until she heard the floo roar to life then extinguish. She crawled out of bed and walked slowly to the living room. Surely this was a joke, right? She looked around the empty area, wrapping her arms around herself as she started to cry.

Definitely not a joke.

* * *

Saturday afternoon rolled around and Hermione was still in bed. She got up to use the loo a few times, and grab some food, but otherwise, she staying right there. She had books, and magazines, and even some paperwork from the office to occupy her. All of that was pushed aside though, as she just laid there, staring up at the ceiling.

She really couldn't understand Ron sometimes. First, he was all over her, then the next thing she knew, he assumed she was discrediting his manhood and leaving with a lousy excuse of 'being tired.' If anyone was tired, it was her!

She sighed, wondering if she should take another nap, when a tap at her bedroom window caught her attention.

She smiled at the familiar owl and waved her wand to open the window. Hercules circled the room a few times and swooped down to land at the foot at the bed.

"Show off," she smirked at the bird. Hercules puffed out his chest and hooted, offering his leg where the note was attached.

She offered the owl a piece of a corn chip as a treat and the owl accepted it gratefully. He nipped her finger playfully before flying to the window and perched itself there, cleaning his feathers in the sunlight.

 _Granger,_

 _I suppose I could give you some mercy and not set up our weekly dinners on either Monday, Thursday, or Saturday._

 _Tuesday's would work better for me if that is fine for you. Dinners are at 7pm sharp, though you may come earlier if you wish._

 _Send your reply with Hercules as well as a list foods you are adverse to. Mother informed me that sometimes certain smells or foods can cause a pregnant woman to fall ill._

 _Regards,  
_ _D. Malfoy_

Hermione set the letter down and stretched before getting out of bed. Forgoing her no-getting-out-of-bed-except-for-food-and-loo-breaks rule, she wound her way to her study and nearly jumped when she saw Ron was in there, shrinking books and placing them in boxes.

"Ron!" she said, her hand to her racing heart. "What are you doing here? When did you get here?"

Her gave her a sheepish look and scratched at the back of his head. "I, well, I stopped by an hour ago… you were in bed so I figured you were sleeping. I decided to surprise you.." he said, motioning to the room. "I said I'd help you with the nursery…."

Hermione glanced around the room again, noting that over half of the bookshelves were now empty. She went over to one of the boxes, inspecting it.

"I kept them in the same order," he said quickly.

Hermione looked up at him, tears in her eyes. Ron quickly went over to her. "I'm sorry, 'Mione.. I'll put it back if you want, I just-"

"No you prat, I'm not crying because you packed up the boxes. I'm crying because you're _here_ , packing up boxes."

Ron frowned, then chuckled, pulling her into him. "That made absolutely no sense, you barmy witch."

Hermione chuckled, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face into his chest. "I just mean I'm not upset that you're packing up the office. I'm _happy_ you are."

He rested his chin on top of her head. "I'm sorry about last night. I just… I freaked out, that's all. I'm still not sure if I can… you know... With the baby in there."

Hermione shook her head, looking up at him. "It's alright, Ron. And I'm sorry if I what I said made you feel… inadequate as a man. Trust me, you are not lacking in that department." He flushed as she kissed his cheek then his lips. She smiled into them before pulling back.

"I need to owl Malfoy back real quick, but why don't I order us in some Chinese food after and we'll work on this together while we wait, ok?"

Out of habit, Ron stiffened at Malfoy's name, but instead of blowing his top, he nodded. "Sounds great, 'Moine." He went back to work on shrinking books and placing them in boxes while Hermione penned a quick note, running back to her room, happy to find that Hercules was still there, waiting for her response to send back to his owner.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**_  
 _ **Also, shout out to my friend/beta, SweetLittleBullet who puts up with me pestering her all day, every day 3**_  
 _ **~HufflepuffMommy**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: It seems that FFN is having an issue where it's not sending out email notifications when chapters are updated, so please follow me on Facebook/HufflepuffMommy to get the latest update notifications! I will even try and update Twitter as well until this bug is fixed at /HufflepuffMom82**_

* * *

Draco and his mother were having a late lunch when Hercules swooped in from the opened double door in the dining room. He landed neatly next to Draco, hooting softly as he lifted his leg.

"Thanks Hercules," Draco said as he untied the letter. He offered his owl a piece of roast beef from his sandwich (which was accepted gratefully) and flew back out the window to the owlery on the property.

"Miss Granger sure doesn't like to waste time in responding to owls," his mother said, as she dabbed her lips softly with a cloth napkin.

"Yes, thankfully. I'm sure if I was corresponding with Weasley I wouldn't hear back for a few days."

Draco skimmed the letter, nodded, then handed it to his mother.

She lifted an eye at her son who merely shrugged and said, "You told me to ask you what foods she was adverse to. The list is on there."

With a nod of understanding, the Malfoy matriarch read the letter.

 _Malfoy,_

 _Tuesday's work fine for me._

 _I haven't found too many foods that I have reacted too since I became pregnant, though pungent smells like broccoli and brussel sprouts are probably ones to avoid, at least for now.  
I have never been a fan of beans or jelly, but other then that, I will try almost anything. I will let you know if something doesn't agree with me and the baby. _

_I'm sorry if this letter seems rushed - I'm currently in the process of turning my office into a nursery. I am unsure why I am telling you this, but I figured you'd like to know._

 _See you on Tuesday._

 _Regards,  
_ _H. Granger._

"I'll go inform the house elves of these foods to avoid on Tuesday nights," she said, pushing her chair back softly and standing up. "Is your meeting with Mr. Potter still on schedule for this evening?"

Draco nodded. "I haven't heard otherwise, so I am assuming so."

"I really wish you'd use one of _our_ lawyers, Draco, instead of a ministry one."

"Mother, we have been over this before. I can't, and won't, trust anyone who supported or worked for Father. Potter said that he will choose the best one and I have faith in him."

Narcissa smiled. "I never thought I'd see the day where I'd hear those those words fall from your mouth."

"And I never thought I'd see the day where someone would out-right lie to a crazy maniac about a death of a boy he'd been trying to kill-yet here we are," he said, smirking.

Narcissa let out a chuckle. "Touché, my son. I'll let you prepare for your meeting. Send Millie if you need anything."

Draco went to his study where he flipped through the paperwork that Harry had sent him earlier that day. He wondered if the Boy Who Lived was only doing this because he impregnated one of his best friends, or because Potter truly believed he didn't deserve Azkaban. It was a thought that the young Malfoy had had ever since he received an owl from his former adversary just a few days prior.

Draco sighed and rubbed his hands over his face tiredly. He knew he didn't deserve Potter's help in either case, but he was appreciative of it all the same. He glanced at the clock and noted that he still had a few hours until their appointment and decided he didn't want to be alone to wait it out. He grabbed a fistfull of floo powder and called out "Zabini Manor!"

He stuck his head into the flames and called out. "Zabini! You home?"

Shiny, black shoes entered his vision followed by the face of his long-time friend. "Draco? Fancy seeing you in my floo," Blaise Zabini said with a smirk.

Draco smirked back. "Are you busy?"

"I'm not _entertaining_ at the moment, if that's what you mean" Blaise said with a wink.

"Good to know," Draco said with a eye roll. "Come over."

The blond stepped back from his fireplace as his friend stepped through.

"What's up?" Blaise asked, heading to the bar, pouring two tumblers of Firewhisky.

Draco raised a brow. "You do realize that's it's only mid afternoon, right?" he said, motioning to the tumblers.

Blaise shrugged. "Habit. You gonna drink yours or should I dispose of that for you?"

Draco took the offered tumbler, knocked it back in a gulp, and set the glass back on the counter.

Blaise followed suit. "So, what's got you all worked up? Aside from house arrest, that is."

"What makes you think I'm worked up about something?"

Blaise gave him a deadpanned look. "Drake, I've known you almost my whole life. I know when you're worked up. You run your hand through your hair a lot and the top button of your shirt is undone."

Draco stilled his head as it was about to go through his locks again and cursed under his breath. "Fine. I found out something and it just has me… unsettled."

Blaise motioned towards the two armchairs by the fireplace. "Let's go sit. I have a feeling this will be a long story."

Draco sighed as he sat down in one chair while Blaise took the other. He ran a hand through his hair again as he gathered his thoughts.

"You remember hearing how Potter, Weasley, and Granger were here at the manor and they escaped?"

Blaise nodded. "Kind of hard to forget. Heard that sick bastard was fuming and killed everyone on site."

"Yeah, well, before he even got here, my crazy aunt decided to torture Granger a bit."

Blaise's eyes widened slightly. "No shit? What did she do? What about Potter and Weasley?"

"They were tossed in the dungeon with Thomas, Lovegood, and Ollivander," Draco said. "But she decided to keep Granger with us, torture her for information about some sword. She cast curcio a few time then carved…." Draco swallowed the thick saliva that was currently coating his throat, closing his eyes as he remembered the blood dripping from Hermione's arm. "She carved the word _Mudblood_ on her arm."

"Fuck..." whispered Blaise. He used his wand to _accio_ the Firewhisky and tumblers from where they left them on the counters.

"That's not all," said Draco, staring off into the flames of the fire. Blaise poured another two glasses of the amber liquid and handed one to his friend. Draco just stared at the contents as he brought up the courage to say the next part. "She forced me to rape Granger."

Blaise just stared at Draco, his mouth slightly open in shock.

"She's pregnant," Draco finished, finally downing his drink.

Blaise blinked a few times in shock. "Granger? _Granger's_ pregnant? With _your_ baby? Wow… that's, well, that's just some weird sort of sick karma shit right there."

Draco chuckled darkly. "Yes, I suppose it is." He sighed then flicked his wand which made his tumbler disappear before he leaned back in his chair. "Potter's coming by later today, with a lawyer of his choice. He wants to testify for me at my hearing."

Blaise disposed of his tumbler in the same as Draco before also leaning back. "Is he doing it because his best friend is carrying your spawn? Or because he believes you don't deserve punishment?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Draco said.

Blaise thought about it, then shrugged. "Either way, so what? Having the Golden Boy in your corner at the trials will hopefully mean you get to skip Azkaban altogether."

Draco ran a hand through his tresses. "I just hope the pregnancy can stay hidden until after the trial. If the Wizengamot got wind of it, they'd probably not take Potter seriously and I'd see myself in a cell next to my father."

"How's the old man doing, anyways?" Blaise asked.

"Don't know, and don't fucking care," Draco said nonchalantly. "He could die tomorrow and I wouldn't bat an eye. But if I end up going there, it'll kill me, knowing I'd be missing out on my sons life."

"Son?" inquired Blaise. "You guys found out already?"

"She had an appointment here at the manor, so I could be there. We found out then," he said.

"So she wants you to be part of the pregnancy and the baby?"

Draco nodded. "Yes."

"Well that's…. suprising."

"Indeed."

The two Slytherins talked a bit more, forgoing anymore hard alcohol so Draco could be level headed and be taken seriously during his meeting. When it was a half hour until Potter was due to arrive, Blaise floo'd back home, with a promise to stop by in a few days.

Ten minutes before the appointment schedule, Draco was shaking hands with the lawyer that Potter brought with him, Benjamin Merryweather, a man in his forties with short, sandy blond hair that was greying on the ends. "Thank you for coming," Draco said sincerely.

"I have to admit, I was skeptical, but Potter here can be pretty convincing. Why don't we get this meeting started and we can talk about what to expect during your trial."

Draco nodded then led the two other men to his study, where he set up privacy wards, just in case.

Two hours later, the doors to Draco's study opened and the three men stepped out. Draco shook the lawyer's hand again. "I really appreciate everything, Mr. Merryweather. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to owl me."

"Same goes for you, Mr. Malfoy. Otherwise, I'll see you both next Monday at 10am?"

Draco nodded as Harry shook Merryweather's hand as well. "Yes, thank you again."

"Yes, thank you," Draco said. He bid the man farewell and before Harry could excuse himself, Draco stopped him. "Potter, a word, if you will?"

Harry followed Draco back into the room, closing the door behind him. He watched as Draco opened up a hidden cabinet in the study, pouring himself two tumblers of Ogden's finest.

"Toasting to victory already?" asked Harry, slightly amused.

Draco scoffed slightly. "Hardly. I just need something to help the settle my nerves from the meeting and it would have been rude for me not to make you a drink as well." He offered the glass to the other man. Harry took it, and nodded his head once in gratitude, taking a sip.

"So what was it that you wanted to talk about?" Harry asked, taking a seat in front of Draco's desk.

Draco sat in chair on the other side and regarded the onyx-haired man. "Are you doing this because your best friend is carrying my child?"

Harry chuckled lightly. "You know, Hermione asked the same thing-"

"Answer the question, Potter."

"No. I'm _not_ doing this because Hermione is pregnant with your baby. I decided to do this weeks before all of that came to light."

"Then why _are_ you doing this?" Draco asked, a thin brow raised.

Harry sighed, taking another sip of the whisky in his glass. "Because, while it took me far longer than it should have, I realized that what you were put through the past few years were not of your choice. That what you did, you did because you and your family would die at the hands of a madman. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do if I were in your shoes. But the fact of the matter is, you were put into a position where there really wasn't a way out, not without being killed. You may have been an arse to me at Hogwarts, Malfoy, but I don't think you deserve to go Azkaban for how you were raised and for something you had no control over."

Draco mulled that over as Harry finished off his drink, setting the tumbler on the desk. "I need to get going. If you need anything, you can owl me or Hermione. She wanted to testify for you as well, but seeing as how she's starting to show more and more each day, she thought it would be best if she wasn't at the hearing, just in case. She's been helping though, as much as she can."

Draco nodded. "I'll have to thank her when I see her again."

"Tuesday's right, for weekly dinners?"

Draco gave Harry a curious look. "How did you know about that?"

Harry shrugged. "I was at her flat when the owl arrived. In fact, my girlfriend was the one who used one of her family owls to return her response to you."

"I see. Well then, yes, I'll be seeing her Tuesday. And you the following Monday, unless something arises."

Harry nodded. "I'll be there." He motioned to the fireplace in the office. "Mind if I use this one to head home? I'm running late as it is."

Draco waved a dismissive hand, drinking the last sip of his alcohol. "Sure, why not."

"Thanks. See ya, Malfoy."

Draco watched as Harry disappeared within the green flames, then looked down at his empty tumbler, contemplating if he should pour himself another glass. Deciding against it, he instead went in search for his mother, who he knew waiting for him to update him on the meeting between Potter and Merryweather.

He only hoped that neither of them were going to get their hopes up.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I have to give to a big shout-out to my Hufflepuff-Twin and beta, SweetLittleBullet. When i was writing this chapter, I had Draco going over to Blaise's house to have a drink and talk, but then she had to remind that Draco was under House Arrest and couldn't leave. Thankfully, she caught it or else I would look really silly posting what I had!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: I hope everyone had a great weekend! Here's a new chapter for you lovies! ~HufflepuffMommy**_

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Hermione sat up in bed, gasping for air. She was covered in sweat and her damp hair was sticking to her face and neck. She placed a hand to her racing heart and looked around the dark room, letting her eyes adjust.

"Just a dream. It's just a dream. The war is over. It was just a dream," she said to herself, over and over, until her breathing regulated and she didn't feel like vomiting.

She hated nights like this. Nights where whenever she closed her eyes, images and flashbacks from the war would emerge. They were nightly right after the war, which was to be expected. She decided to start seeing a therapist, Dr. Holly Morgan, who was also a Muggleborn witch, and their sessions were showing quick progress. Apart from those at Malfoy Manor who were witness, Dr. Morgan was the only other person who had known about _all_ the details of that night, at least up until a week ago.

Dr. Morgan worked with Hermione, seeing her twice a week, then once a week. Now, they meet up monthly, or more if Hermione needed.

She felt that she had been doing better; the nightmares hadn't happened in about a month, and she didn't have panic attacks anymore. Now, however, with everything happening with her pregnancy, and going to the Manor, and having to go there _again_ for dinners, (which was tonight, Hermione thought with a groan) the nightmares started to return.

With a sigh, she looked over at Ron who was sleeping soundly next to her. She couldn't help but feel a bit of jealousy that he didn't have nightmares anymore…. or that he could sleep through hers. She slipped out of bed and padded to the bathroom, where she splashed some cool water on her face before using the loo. Craving some pumpkin juice, she went to the kitchen where she drank some straight from the carton, not wanting to dirty a glass for just one sip (or three).

When she was done, and placed the juice back in the fridge, she turned to walk to the bedroom when movement from within her stilled her steps. She placed her hand softly upon her stomach where the movement came from and nearly gasped in shock when she felt the movement again. She wished Ron were awake, so she could share this with him, but then… he'd probably wouldn't care, she realized sadly. It wasn't his baby and she knew, no matter how much she wanted him to be, he'd never be excited about this.

She debated sending a letter to Malfoy to let him know of the new development, then remembered, again, that she would be there later that evening for the first weekly dinner at the Manor.

The baby moved again and Hermione smiled. "I sure hope this doesn't mean you'll be up all night when you're born, young man. Mummy is going to be quite exhausted if so."

"'Mione?" asked Ron while he yawned and walked into the living room sleepily. "Who're you talking to?"

"Oh, just myself," she said, looking over at him. "Did I wake you?"

Ron shook his head as he yawned again. "No. I rolled over and you were gone." He looked at her curiously. "Everything alright?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. I had a nightmare earlier and once I calmed down I decided to get a drink. Come on, let's head back to bed."

Ron nodded sleepily, swinging his arm around her shoulders as they made their way back to the bedroom.

* * *

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice Dr. Morgan. I truly appreciate it," Hermione said as she sat down on the soft, dark purple couch in her therapist's office.

Dr. Morgan smiled at her. "You know I'll always make time for my favorite patient. Would you like some tea?"

"Please," said Hermione gratefully.

There was comfortable silence as the tea was being prepared and served.

"So, is there something specific you wanted to talk about today?" asked Dr. Morgan.

Hermione set her tea down and placed a hand on her stomach. "As I'm sure you've noticed, I'm with child."

Dr. Morgan smiled. "I did, but it's rude to assume so I didn't want to say anything. I suspect congratulations are in order? How far along are you?"

"I'm about four months along," Hermione said, taking a deep breath. "I only found out a week ago. It's… well, it's Draco Malfoy's child."

The therapist had set down her tea and started making notes. While most would have used Quick Quotes Quill, this one preferred the muggle way and wrote everything herself. "I see," she said, looking up at Hermione. "Is this child the result of the rape that was forced upon you and Mr. Malfoy at his manor then?"

Hermione nodded, wiping a tear that had started to fall. "It is."

"Does he know?"

"Yes. I told him as soon as I found out. We also had a paternity test done, just in case."

"I know you hate this next question, but I must ask. How does all of this make you feel?"

Hermione smiled slightly. "I was actually expecting that question." She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. "Overwhelmed. Nervous. Excited. Scared... Guilty."

Dr. Morgan jotted down notes. "For most first time mothers, these emotions are very common, especially at a young age. May I ask why you're feeling guilty though? We've already been over the fact that what happened was not your fault nor Mr. Malfoy's."

"I feel guilty because I'm in a relationship with someone, but having another man's baby. No matter the circumstances of how it happened, that in itself makes me feel guilty... not to mention watching Ron's face when I told him it wasn't his, well, my heart broke for him." Hermione tried to reign in her tears but was unable to as she began to sob in her hands. Dr. Morgan handed her a box of kleenex, and gave Hermione a few moments to collect herself and calm down. She knew from experience with the witch that once she calmed, she'd talk some more. When Hermione finally took a shaky breath and looked back up, Dr. Morgan knew she was ready to continue. "I also feel guilty when I get excited about things, like when I felt the baby for the first time, or start thinking about names… and while I know Ron would have been excited if it were _his_ child, the fact that it's Draco Malfoy's, takes out all of the excitement from it… especially for him."

"Have you talked to Ron about this?"

"All the time. He's trying, he really is. He even helped me start getting my home office set up for a nursery. But, if I ever bring up the baby, or something to do with Malfoy, he seems to either tune me out, or he leaves." Hermione wiped at a tear as she huffed out a breath. "I'm just wondering when all of this is going click for him that this baby isn't going to go away… that after I'm pregnant, Malfoy will be in even more part of our lives. This child will probably look like him too, especially since it's a boy, and I don't want Ron resenting, or treating him poorly, because of that."

Hermione was surprised by her own words. She didn't realize she had felt like that.. Not until it came rushing out. She knew Ron would never hurt a child, but flashes of Snape treating Harry horribly merely because of his parentage and his resemblance to his father… well, she didn't want a repeat performance. "I think I need to talk to him some more," she said quietly.

Dr. Morgan nodded. "If you want, you can bring him with you next time."

Hermione shrugged slightly. "We'll see. I'll ask, but knowing Ron, he won't want to come."

The room was quiet except for the sound of writing. "Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes. The nightmares have come back. I understand why though… I've had to face the person in them a few times now, not to mention be at the location it all happened. I'm just hoping with time, they will go away again. Or at least not be so frequent."

"I'm sure they will. In the meantime, work on the breathing exercises and visualizations we talked before when you had them regularly. You can still take Dreamless Sleep while pregnant, but it's not advised to do so once you hit the third trimester."

Hermione took mental note of that information and tucked it away. She didn't like taking Dreamless Sleep to begin with, but if the dreams were going to be happening more often, she may have to resort to it.

The two of them talked for the allotted hour, and by the time they were done, Hermione felt a little better. She was even smiling and acknowledging passerby's who waved or said hello as she wound her way through the Ministry to her office. When she opened the door to said office, she was surprised to see that Harry was there, swiveling in her chair mindlessly. When she walked in though, he stood up quickly, walking over to her. "Where have you been? Ron said you left earlier than usual this morning so he thought you came into work, but when I stopped by almost an hour ago, you weren't here. I just came back about 10 minutes ago and was about to send out a search party."

Hermione sighed. "Don't be silly, Harry. I'm fine. And I told Ron where I was going. He probably just didn't hear me. I went to see Dr. Morgan this morning for a quick session," she said, going behind her desk and placing her things down.

"Is everything ok?" he asked, sitting in the seat across from her.

"Yes, I just… I just needed to talk to someone who wasn't involved in all of this. I feel a little better now, though the meeting did make me realize that Ronald and I need to talk about a few things."

"Oh, I'm sure he's going to love that," Harry said with a grin. "I'll let him know you're here. He was going to go looking for you if you hadn't been back by lunch."

"Yes, please tell him I'm fine. Sorry for the worry, Harry."

"It's alright. See you at lunch?" At her nod, he finally left, closing the door behind him.

Hermione sighed, looked at the stack of memos on her desk, and began working.

When lunchtime rolled around, Hermione was still working, her head down, her quill scratching at the parchment. A knock at her door barely broke her concentration as she said, "It's open!" before continuing.

She expected to see Harry and was pleasantly surprised when it was Ginny instead. "Hey there 'Mione."

Hermione lifted her head and smiled at her friend. "Ginny! What are you doing here?"

Her friend gave a shrug. "No practice today and I was bored so I stopped by to have lunch with you guys. Harry sent me to get you. The boys will meet us in the atrium."

"Give me just one moment to finish this and I'll be ready," Hermione said with a smile, indicating to the chair by her desk.

Ginny nodded, sitting in the indicated chair, humming to herself as she looked around the room.

"Ok, done," said Hermione. She used her wand to roll up the parchment and send it flying to where it needed to go. She stood up and grabbed her bag. "Ready?"

The redhead nodded, standing as well. "Yup!" She linked her arm with her friend as they walked out of her office.

"So how's studying going for N.E. .?" Hermione asked.

Ginny sighed. "It's going. Boring as all hell, but going. Pretty sure I got Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts down. Transfiguration and Potions can do a bit more work though."

"If you need any help, let me know. We can do a study session," Hermione offered.

"When it gets closer to testing time, I might take you up on that offer, if you're not too busy with the baby."

"I'll always have time for my friend's, baby or not," Hermione said with a smile. "Besides, he has a father who can watch him too, you know."

"Speaking of the baby's father… tonight is the first dinner over there, right?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes."

"Nervous?"

"Not really. I mean, it's just dinner and getting to know him. I was more nervous having to tell him I was pregnant."

Ginny laughed. "Yes. I suppose that would be more nerve wracking."

The two ladies met their boyfriends by the fountains and the group of them made their way to Muggle London for lunch. They ate and talked and laughed like they always did. The hour came and went too quickly and before she knew it, Hermione was hugging Ginny goodbye with promises to get together soon for a girls weekend. Ginny went back to the Burrow after giving Harry a quick peck on the lips (which Ron pretended to gag about, earning an elbow from Hermione good naturedly) and then the trio went back to work.

"So 'Mione, I was thinking, how about we order pizza tonight?" Ron suggested as they neared her office.

Hermione frowned. "Ron, it's Tuesday."

Ron frowned back. "So?"

She sighed and huffed out a breath. "I _told_ you that on Tuesdays I'm going to Malfoy's for dinner."

Ron frowned. "Oh.. right." he gave her a sheepish look. "I must have forgot…"

Hermione sighed again. "It's fine. I just wish you'd listen to me when I talk. Even this morning, I specifically told you I was going to see Dr. Morgan before heading into work, and then when Harry asked where I was, you hadn't a clue." She shook her head. "I need to get back to work. Are you going to come with me tonight or will I just see you tomorrow?"

Ron scratched the back of his head. "I'll uh, I'll just see you tomorrow, I guess…"

Hermione nodded. "Alright." She went on her tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek before walking into her office and closing the door behind her.


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: FFN was glitching earlier and wasn't informing readers when chapters were updated - if this is the first update notification that you've received for this story in over a week, please go back a few chapters as I have updated at least twice since then. Otherwise, enjoy this chapter! Thank you for reading and for my beta/hufflepufftwin, SweetLittleBullet. ~HufflepuffMommy**_

* * *

Hermione tapped her foot as she looked in her wardrobe for something suitable to wear. She wanted casual, but not _too_ casual, as well as something that was easily stretchable since the baby decided that _now_ be the perfect time for a growth spurt.

After pulling out one outfit after another, she finally opted for a simple, flowy black skirt and a deep purple top to go with it along with it. She slipped her feet into some comfortable black ballet flats, grabbed her bag, and used her floo to head over to Malfoy Manor before she lost her nerve and cancelled the whole thing.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go, she really did. However, she had been upset the rest of the day following lunch that now she was utterly exhausted. A promise was a promise though and it would be rude to cancel in such short notice.

With her eyes closed, she called out her destination and didn't open them again until her feet hit solid ground. She peered out of the fireplace and stepped out, squeaking in surprise when a House Elf popped up next to her.

"Shall Millie tell Master Draco that you have arrived, Miss?" the small elf asked.

Hermione smiled down at her. "If you would, please. I'd go looking for him myself but I'm afraid I would get lost."

The elf bowed slightly before popping out of the room. Hermione slowly walked around, looking at the different pieces of paintings, artifacts, and family pictures, smiling at an old picture of Draco, not quite 7, sitting atop a broom. A quiet cough brought her attention around and present-day Draco stood in the room, hands in his pockets.

"Granger," he said in a way of greeting. "I'm surprised you came early."

She shrugged in response. "I didn't feel like waiting around at home. I figured maybe we could talk a bit before dinner, if that's ok?"

Draco nodded. "Sure. What did you want to talk about?"

Hermione blew out a sigh as she sat down on the small sofa that was in the middle of the room, facing the fireplace. "There are many subjects we can talk about... How are you feeling about all of this, for starters."

Draco sat down on the other side of the sofa and looked at her. "I don't think it's really hit me quite yet. I mean, I understand I'll be a father, but, without knowing how the trial is going to be next week, I don't want to get too… _hopeful,_ of my involvement until after it's over."

Hermione frowned at him. "Malfoy, you know that if for some reason you end up going to Azkaban, that I would write you send pictures and updates of your son. You won't be left in the dark, I promise you."

Draco's eyebrows lifted slightly. "That's... very kind, Granger. Thank you."

Hermione sat up straighter. "Also, I think under the circumstances, maybe you can start calling me by my given name? And I'll do the same in return. I mean, it'll be silly if we still kept calling each other by our surnames while raising a child."

Draco nodded. "I had been thinking of that as well, actually. I'll work on it. Old habits are hard to break, you know," he said with a slight smirk.

Hermione smirked back. "Trust me, I understand."

At that moment, Hermione jolted slightly then smiled and put a hand on her stomach. Draco looked at her questioningly.

"He's been active lately. Especially in the evenings," she said. She moved her hand. "Would… would you like to feel?"

Draco looked at her stomach tentatively. "No… that's alright."

Hermione nodded, secretly glad he turned down the invite. Talking with Malfoy and being nice was one thing; having him touch her stomach was something different. It seemed so… personal.

"So, um… what have you been up too?" she asked, trying to break the uneasy silence.

"Going bored out of my damned mind," he said with a sigh, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I can't go anywhere so, I spend a good portion of my day in the library, my study, or my lab. I've been experimenting with alchemy a bit, but nothing worth mentioning," he said offhandedly. He glanced her way and cleared his throat slightly. "I did want to talk to you about something though."

Hermione nodded, shifting slightly so that her body faced him. "Yes?"

"I was wondering if you had been giving any thoughts as to names? You know, for the baby…" he asked with slight tentativeness.

"Oh," she said surprised. "Well, actually, I have. I just wasn't sure when you wanted to start talking about it… I guess now is a good time as any."

"Alright," he said with a nod. "I was wondering if you'd consider following the Black Family tradition of naming the child something celestial or another family member?"

Hermione quirked a brow. "What did you have in mind?"

Draco pulled out his wand and flicked it, conjuring up a rolled up piece of parchment. He handed it to Hermione. "This is a copy of the Black Family Tree. I could care less about my father's side, but I know if we picked one from my mother's side, or use their naming practices, that it would really mean a lot to her."

Hermione unrolled the parchment and saw that the family tree was similar to the one at Grimmauld Place, complete with crossed out names. She did however, also see some handwritten names off the side; celestial ones that hadn't been used yet. She hummed in thought as she scanned the tree and the list. "I had actually been thinking about that. I know that everyone on your mother's side had that tradition and, well, I wouldn't mind continuing."

"Really?" he asked, slightly shocked. He thought for sure he she would argue over this detail.

"Yes. Though we'd have to agree to it, of course. And, since we'll be going with a celestial name for his given name, I would like to be able to choose a family name of my own for the middle, if that suits you?" she inquired.

Draco nodded. "I don't see why not." He watched her scan the parchment again. "Are there any names that stick out for you?" he asked.

Hermione smiled slightly and looked up at him. "A few. But I want to mull it over a bit more, if that's ok." She motioned with her head towards the paper. "Is there one you particularly like?"

Draco leaned over and pointed to one of the ones that he had written off to the side.

"Scorpius?" she asked, her brows furrowed. "I'm not too sure about that… I mean, we'd basically be naming our son after a poisonous arachnid." She read the name again, and shook her head. "No, I don't think that's the one."

Draco huffed in indignation. That was one of his favorites, and she just blew it off without really giving it a chance. "Alright. So what's one of yours then?" he asked with more snark then he intended.

Hermione set down the parchment between them, then brought up her bag that was resting on the floor to her lap. She roamed around in there before pulling out a quill and placing the bag back on the floor by her feet. Taking the parchment, she added another name to the list on the side.

Draco looked over to see what she wrote. "Leo?" Draco asked incredulously. "You can't be serious."

"What's wrong with Leo?" she asked. "It's a good, strong name."

"And it's after a _lion_ , Granger. I'm not stupid," he said, glaring at her.

Hermione just shrugged, rolling up the paper. "It was just a suggestion. Is this my copy to keep?" she asked.

Draco nodded stiffly and watched as she put the paper and quill in her bag.

"Let's keep thinking of names and we can discuss it more in a few weeks, deal?" she asked.

Draco sighed. "Alright, fine, deal."

Just then, Millie popped back into the room. "Dinner will be ready in five minutes, Master Draco."

Draco nodded at the elf. "Thank you Millie. We'll head to the dining room now."

Millie bowed again before popping back out. Draco stood up from the couch, followed by Hermione. "I still can't believe you own house elves," she grumbled quietly.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Of course we do. Why wouldn't we?"

"Oh, don't get me started," she said hotly. "I'm currently working on a bill that will give house elves rights where they will receive payment for their services, vacation days, and sick leave."

Draco nearly laughed, but covered it up with a cough as they walked down the hall. "You can't be serious, Granger. House elves don't care about those things," he said dismissively.

She stopped walking and put her hands on her hips. "And just how would you know? Have you ever _asked_ one of them?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "It's just not how things work, not with them." He continued walking and she followed, crossing her arms at her chest. "Besides, I treat the house elves decently enough. I'm not cruel to them, like my father was to Dobby. Whatever happened to him anyways?"

"Oh, um… he died… that day we escaped," Hermione said quietly.

"Oh," was all Draco could say, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Despite what anyone else thought, he actually liked Dobby. He would entertain Draco as a child whenever he was bored and sneaked him sweets from the pantry when he was having a bad day. "I'm sorry to hear. May I ask… how?"

Hermione's arms had uncrossed and she began rubbing her left arm subconsciously. "Bellatrix's knife hit him in the chest right before he apparated us away. Harry buried him, by the ocean," she said sadly.

Draco nodded, unsure of what to say, and was thankful when they rounded the corner and entered the dining room.

"Welcome, Miss Granger. It's lovely to see you again," Narcissa said with a pleasant smile as she stopped inspecting the dining table when they walked in.

Hermione nodded and smiled in greeting. "Thank you, same to you." She walked over to the table and went to pull the chair out when Draco interrupted her.

"Here, let me," he said, pulling out the chair for her.

She chuckled out a sigh. "You don't have to, you know."

He shrugged. "It's an ingrained habit," he said as he pushed in her seat once she was settled. He walked over and did the same for his mother, before finally taking his own seat.

Narcissa clasped her hands together. "This is nice," she said. "Well, why don't we have the elves bring us our food. Millie, Tippie? Dinner please."

The two house elves came out from what Hermione presumed was the kitchen door, each levitating various items. She watched as they walked around the table and noted that they were not dressed as badly as Dobby ever was. They were still wearing pillow cases, but they were clean and possibly pressed, with the Malfoy Crest in the middle. Perhaps Draco was telling the truth about his treatment of house elves after all…

Once plates, goblets, and silverware were placed in front of their perspective owners, the elves vanished back into the kitchen and Hermione inspected her plate: grilled chicken breast, steamed carrots, and a baked potato. The two goblets in front of her contained water and pumpkin juice.

"So Miss Granger," Narcissa said after a few silent moments. "Are your parents excited about the upcoming baby?"

Hermione's cheeks flushed slightly as she looked down at her plate, moving around the food with her fork as she responded. "I'm sure they would be, if they knew."

Draco regarded the brunette with slightly widened eyes. "You haven't told your parents?"

Hermione looked up at him. "Well, if it helps, they don't even know they have a daughter," she said with a nonchalant shrug, though Narcissa could see the sadness upon her features.

"Did something happen to your parents, dear?"

Hermione sighed softly and looked up at Narcissa, then at Draco, before going back to moving her food around the plate. "Right after 6th year, I knew war was coming. I also knew that my parents would be in danger, being Harry Potter's best friend and all. Plus, they were muggles, and I knew that… that Death Eaters…." she glanced quickly at Draco, who had looked down at his plate, "...wouldn't have any trouble targeting them. So, I wiped their memories and took myself out of their life, then planted the idea in their head to move to Australia. That's where they've been after since."

"Oh, Miss Granger," said Narcissa as she reached a hand over and placed it upon the girl's small one, giving it a squeeze before letting go. "That was a very brave, and _smart_ , thing you did. However, the war is over and they are no longer in danger. Why haven't you gone to restore their memories?"

"With everything I've been doing since after the war - helping restore Hogwarts and the Ministry, plus working, I just haven't had time-"

"Bullshit," Draco said, tossing his cloth napkin onto the table.

Hermione looked up at him and blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I call bullshit," he said again.

Narcissa tsked under her breath. "Draco, that is way to talk at the dinner table, especially to our guest."

Draco ignored her and stared hard at Hermione. "I don't believe for one moment that you haven't had a single time to get a portkey to Australia - _especially_ since you work at the Ministry - find your parents, and restore their memories. There's more to it then that. The Hermione Granger I know-"

"The Hermione Granger _you_ know?" Hermione said, her cheeks flushed again, this time with anger. "What, _exactly_ , do you know about me, Malfoy? Aside from the fact that I'm a Muggleborn as well as a good-for-nothing-know-it-all? You spent every moment you could being an absolute arse to me in school! You don't know _me;_ you know nothing about me!" Hot, angry tears started to stream down her face as she stood up. "I'll see myself out. Thank you for dinner."

"Funny," Draco said to her back as she walked out. "There are many things that I think of when I try to describe you, but a _coward_ isn't one of them."

"Draco!" his mother hissed at him.

Hermione whirled around. "Don't you dare call me a coward!"

"Then why are you running way? Why are you too scared to go to Austrailia and bring their memories back? Are you scared they'll be mad at you? Disown you?"

Hermione started crying harder and covered her face with her hands.

Narcissa got up and walked over to her, while shooting daggers at her son, and placed a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"Hermione, dear, don't let my son upset you-"

"He's right," she whispered, looking up at Draco with a tear stained face. "I _am_ scared. What I did to them- It's _horrible_. I used magic on them without their consent! They'll...they'll never forgive me for that," she said miserably.

Narcissa carefully and slowly put her arm around Hermione's shoulders and steered her towards the table, having the distraught woman take a seat before sitting down next to her in one of the empty chairs. "I'm sure they'll understand." She shushed Hermione as she was about to argue, and kept talking. "Yes, they might be mad at first, Merlin knows I would be if I were in that situation… but I also know that they'll understand why you did it. They have to realize that you had the best intentions for them and their safety. Trust me." She squeezed Hermione in a slight hug before getting up and going back to her chair, motioning to Draco with her eyes to say something to her.

Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, Granger…If my trial goes the way Potter imagines it will, well, what if… what if I went with you?"

Hermione, who was currently wiping away tears with a napkin, slowly looked up at him. "Went with me… where?"

"To Australia. To help explain to your parents," he said, matter of factly, as he speared a carrot with his fork. "Plus, I'm pretty good at memory charms as well so I could help you restore their memories too."

Hermione just looked at him dumbfounded as she processed what he just said.

Narcissa smiled slightly into her napkin as she dabbed at her mouth. "I think that is a lovely offer, darling. Don't you think so, Hermione?" Narcissa asked.

Hermione blinked a few times before looking over at Narcissa. She gave a slow nod. "Yes, that… that would be very nice." She looked over at Draco. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Draco shrugged. "Don't thank me yet. My trial is on Monday, so we'll see then if I'll be able to hold onto my offer or not."

Hermione shook her head. "Just the fact that you're offering to come and help… it means a lot. Thank you."

Draco looked at Hermione and nodded before taking another bite of food. The three of them continued their dinner, followed by dessert of chocolate cream pie. Narcissa retired to her room shortly after, leaving Hermione and Draco alone as they made their way back to the entryway parlor.

"Look, Granger, I want to apologize, for how I acted at dinner and calling you coward... Even if I _was_ right," he said, smirking slightly.

Hermione flushed and used her fingers to run a hand through her hair, tucking it behind her ear. "It's alright Malfoy. I apologize too, for blowing up like that at dinner, and for what I said…"

Draco shook his head. "Don't apologize for that. I _was_ an arse to you at Hogwarts."

Hermione bit her lip and reached out, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I don't blame _you_ , necessarily. It was how you were raised. I'm just glad to see you're not that same arse anymore...though you'll still a git from time to time."

Draco chuckled. "Yeah, well, I wouldn't be me otherwise."

"Very true," Hermione said, her eyes twinkling with hidden laughter. She stepped over to the floo, grabbing a handful of the powder on the mantel.

"I'll see you next Tuesday," she said.

He gave a shrug. "If all goes well…"

"It will," she said sternly.

Without saying any more, Hermione dropped the floo powder onto the hearth and disappeared within the green flames.

Draco shook his head as she walked away, hoping she was right.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: The wait for this chapter was terrible, sorry! I'm trying to complete the next few chapters before I post new ones so that I'm always have one or two ahead.**_  
 _ **Lots of love and thanks to SweetLittleBullet who reads over my stories as I pester her throughout the day. Muah! ~HufflepuffMommy**_

* * *

Hermione didn't see Ron the night of her dinner with the Malfoy's (not that she expected him too; she _did_ tell him that she would see him the following day). Wednesday morning however, she woke up to the smell of eggs and bacon. Knowing it was Ron put a smile on her face... until she sat up and immediately felt nauseous. She ran into the adjoining bathroom and vomited as soon as she reached the toilet. Groaning, she rinsed out her mouth with water followed by brushing her teeth. Leaving the bathroom, her stomach lurched again as the smell of eggs hit her senses. Covering her mouth and her nose, she took a deep breath and opened her bedroom door, walking quickly to the kitchen where she found Ron, scooping up the aforementioned eggs onto some plates. He looked over at her as she entered and gave her a grin.

"Morning Mione! I made breakf-… are you ok?" he asked, setting aside the pan and walking over to her.

She shook her head, her eyes watering. She finally let out a breath (through her mouth) and said, "The eggs... the smell of them... it's making me sick…"

Ron's eyes widened in shock, before going over to the plates and using his wand to vanish the offending smelling food. Hermione went over to the window and opened it up, standing next to it to get some fresh air.

"I'm sorry Ron," she said, her head still by the window. "I truly appreciate you making me breakfast, but for some reason, the smell of eggs just made me sick."

"It's ok," he said somewhat dejectedly. "Why don't you get dressed and we'll go grab a muffin on the way to work, yeah?"

Hermione nodded, letting Ron deal with the mess in the kitchen, while she took a quick shower and changed.

Forty-five minutes later, the pair of them walked out of the small bakery, a muffin in each of their hand the size of a softball, and a smile on Hermione's face. The brunette witch bit into hers and moaned. "This is what I needed," she said, taking another bite.

"I'm surprised you got chocolate chip. You usually you get banana nut," Ron said, taking a bite of his own muffin.

Hermione shrugged. "I blame the pregnancy. I've been wanting more chocolate lately… well, more sweets in general actually."

They walked down the sidewalk on their way to the ministry as they finished their on-the-go breakfast.

"So, how did dinner go last night?" Ron asked, crumpling up his muffin wrapper and tossing it in a rubbish bin as they walked past one.

Hermione picked at the remaining portion of her muffin. "It went as well as could be expected." She put one of the pieces of muffin her mouth and chewed. "I went a bit earlier and I talked with Malfoy about a few things, then we had dinner with his mother, and then I went home."

Ron nodded. "That's... Good" he said, unsure of what to say.

Hermione bit her lip before continuing. "I'm also considering taking a short trip to Australia, before the baby comes, and seeing about reversing the memory charm on my parents."

Ron looked at her, surprised. "Really? I thought… well, I thought you weren't going, since you haven't yet… Aren't you scared they're going to be like, really, _really_ upset at you for doing that to them?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, but, the war's over, and I'm about to have a baby. I think they'd be more upset that they're missing out on that, wouldn't you think?"

Ron shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. But, it's not like they _know_ they're missing out…"

Hermione stopped walking and stood in front of him, her brows furrowed. "That's not the point, Ron. The point is, is that I miss my family and I want them part of my life. I thought you would understand."

"I do! I do understand. I just thought that, since you haven't gone yet, that maybe you changed your mind is all." He reached out and took both of her hands in his and smiled at her. "I'm glad you're going to get your parents back."

Hermione smiled back, letting go of one hand while they continued their walk. "Thank you. I just need to figure out when I'm going to go."

"Will you write to me when you're gone?" Ron asked.

She glanced over at him. "Well, I was actually going to see if you wanted to come along."

Ron winced slightly. "Oh, 'Mione, you know I would love too, but, auror training takes up so much time, and we can't miss much or get behind... You know how it is, right?"

Hermione nodded and sighed. "Yeah… I know."

* * *

Hermione didn't talk about Australia anymore and held off making any plans for the trip until after Draco's trial. While she hoped that he would be cleared, she didn't want to assume anything and risk the chance of jinxing his freedom.

Instead, she focused on her work, staying mostly in her office so that she couldn't be seen as her stomach had officially 'popped'. It was annoying, really, having to hide a pregnancy, especially since everyone morning she had to use extending charms on her clothes. She wondered, briefly, if it was just time to buy maternity clothing and let the rumors start.

She groaned as she thought about how she needed to make plans with Draco about when, and how, to explain to the press about their upcoming baby together. As it was, every morning as she opened up the Daily Prophet, she held in breath in anticipation, expecting to see her face on the front cover with headlines like "Gryffindor Princess Pregnant! But who's the father?" or "Is Hermione Granger hiding a baby bump? Turn to page 6 to find out!"

All the stress was giving her heartburn. Or perhaps, it was the pregnancy. Either way, she needed to get this out in the open after the trial; the sooner, the better!

* * *

Friday night dinner was held at Grimmauld Place that week, and the four friends sat around eating shepherd's pie and talking about their week.

"I can't believe how much your stomach has grown!" Ginny exclaimed after they ate. She and Hermione were cleaning up after dinner while the boys wandered off outside to have a butterbeer and talk about work.

"Tell me about it," said Hermione. "I'm glad I found out when I did otherwise I don't know what I'd be thinking about all this weight gain and a protruding stomach."

"Does he move a lot?" Ginny asked, levitating plates to the sink and charmed them to wash themselves.

"Here and there, mostly in the evening," she said, placing leftover food in some containers. "I have a feeling he'll be keeping me up most nights."

Ginny grinned and leaned a hip against the counter. "You should talk to mum when the time gets closer. I mean, she _did_ have seven of us so she's bound to have plenty of useful information."

Hermione laughed. "Yes, she probably does." She glanced outside the window where Harry and Ron were laughing about something. "Has Harry mentioned anything about the trial coming up?"

Ginny shook her head and joined her friend at the window. "No, not much. Just that he thinks he has a solid case." She glanced at the brunette. "Why? Are you nervous about Malfoy going to Azkaban?"

Hermione shrugged. "A little. It would be nice if he was around, so he can get to know his son. I told him though, that if for some reason he did go to Azkaban, that I would write him and send pictures." She placed a hand absently on her stomach. "I just hope it doesn't come to that."

"Harry is adamant that Malfoy will be ok. Are you two planning on making the pregnancy known after it's all over with? The trial I mean."

Hermione nodded. "Yes. We still need to go over details about what we're going to say. Probably write in our submission."

"You know, Padma Patil got an internship at the Prophet… perhaps she can help you out?"

Hermione pursed her lips in thought. "I'll consider it and talk to Malfoy."

"Speaking of Malfoy, how did Tuesday night go?" Ginny asked, walking away from the window to go sit in the living room, Hermione following behind.

"It had it's ups and downs, but overall, not bad." Hermione went on to explain how she and Draco talked about naming conventions, house elves, and then went to the subject of her parents.

"No, shit! Did he really offer to go with you to Austrailia?" Ginny asked, her eyes wide.

"Yes. I'm not sure I'll take him up on the offer though. It would be too...awkward."

"Did you tell Ron?" Ginny asked in hushed tones.

"No, you know how he gets when it comes to Malfoy. When the time comes and I start planning my trip, I'll let him know - _if-_ Malfoy still decides he wants to go too."

"You really shouldn't go by yourself, being pregnant and all. Did Ron even offer to go with you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head and Ginny tsked under her breath. "I've said it before and I'll say it again; my brother is a prat."

"What am I a prat about this time?" Ron asked, coming into the living room and sitting next to Hermione, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"Just the usual, you know, _everything_ ," Ginny said, shooting Hermione a wink. Hermione giggled under her breath.

"Gee, thanks sis. Love you too," Ron said sarcastically.

Hermione couldn't help it; she laughed so hard that she needed to excuse to herself to the loo or else she'd have an accident right then and there.

* * *

On Sunday, Hermione tried to keep her mind busy so she wouldn't fret over Malfoy's trial the following day. She decided to curl up on the couch and pulled out the Black Family Tree parchment that Draco gave her, as well as a book on constellations, and looked over the names properly this time.

Ron came by after lunch, the fire from his floo arrival barely making Hermione lose focus.

"Whatcha got there?" Ron asked, as he stepped through the floo and dusted himself off.

"Hm? Oh, nothing, just a parchment that has the Black Family Tree names on it. Trying to figure out a name for the baby."

Ron frowned. "So you're going to name him after someone from _his_ side then?" he asked.

"Not just _his_ , but also Sirius, Andromeda, Nymphadora, as well as his Mother. He said he doesn't want one after his father's side, but would greatly appreciate if we used the naming conventions from his mother's. Plus, he agreed that if we went his way for the first name, that I could pick the middle name."

Ron hummed in thought as he looked over her shoulder from where she sat on the couch. On the tree were names there were crossed off by Hermione herself, obviously for those who didn't make the cut. He glanced around the tree, then chuckled, pointing to one in particular. "I think you should use that one."

Hermione looked at the name he was pointing at and smiled. "That - _is-_ one of my top favorites." She drew a star next to it and made a mental note to suggest it to Malfoy the next time they saw each other; which was hopefully Tuesday.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I know, I know, this chapter is short and sort of a filler, but I didn't want to just jump into the trail scene yet. Next chapter will be a bit longer, I promise! ~HufflepuffMommy**_


	10. Chapter 10

Draco felt like he was going to vomit. He wouldn't, of course, but the feeling was there nonetheless. Instead, he paced the small room that was off to the side of the of the courtroom where his trial would preside, while his mother sat in one of the stiff chairs along the wall.

Ten minutes. In ten minutes he would step into the other room where his fate would be decided.

Merlin, he hoped Potter's plan will work.

 _Speaking of Potter,_ he thought to himself, _where_ is _that good-for-nothin-_

"Sorry I'm late," Harry said from the door.

"About time," Draco snarled quietly. "Where have you been?"

"I uh, I was with Teddy. He's teething and not letting Andromeda sleep so I went over to help and-"

Narcissa lifted her head at the sound of her sisters name. "'Dromeda? She's… she's still alive?"

Harry looked at the woman and nodded. "Yes. She's taking care of Teddy alone since... since her daughter, son-in-law, and husband all died during the war."

"Oh.. I see," said Narcissa, looking down.

Harry walked over and sat in a chair next to her. "You know, if you wanted to meet up with her, I could probably arrange something?"

Narcissa looked back up at Harry, her ice blue eyes looking at his dark green ones. "I'll… I'll think about it. It's been so long, I wouldn't even know what to say."

Harry shrugged. "You can always start with 'hello'?"

Narcissa chuckled and was about to say something when Draco cleared his throat, loudly.

"If you are done, can we focus on the fact that my trial is about to start in," he glanced at his watch, "five minutes?"

Narcissa stood up and walked over to her son, placing a hand on his cheek. "It'll be fine, darling. I have complete faith in Mr. Potter."

Draco quirked a brow but didn't say anything as Harry walked over. "I have my speech all prepared, Hermione helped me fine tune it the other day. And we went over the questions that we suspect they will ask you, and you know what to say, right?"

Draco nodded as he let out a sigh. "Yeah."

"I should go and take my seat," Narcissa said. She kissed her son's cheek and smiled down at him. "I'll see you in a few moments."

Draco nodded and watched as his mother left. Both he and Harry took a seat and sat in silence for the remaining few minutes until they were finally called to enter the courtroom.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

Hermione sat in her office, looking at the clock and let out a breath when it finally read ten in the morning. Draco's trial had started. She was a bundle of nerves and really wanted to be down in the courtroom, hearing what was happening. They all agreed however, that it was best she stay away from the trial. She glanced down at her belly and smiled when her son gave a slight kick. "Worried for your father, hm? I'm sure everything will be alright," she murmured as she rubbed her swell, not sure who she was trying to convince.

* * *

"Disciplinary hearing of the fourteenth of September, into offences of acts of dark magic and aiding of Voldemort committed by Draco Lucius Malfoy, resident at Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England. Interrogators: Myself, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister for Magic; Nickolas Michael Jones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Marianne Pauline Hall, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Peter Matthew Stevens. Witness for the Defence?"

Merryweather stood from his seat that was on one side of the room, facing Shacklebolt. "Myself, his lawyer, Benjamin Thomas Merryweather, as well as Harry James Potter."

Murmurs could be heard throughout the room at the name of the Chosen One. Kingsley had to bang his gavel a few times to return order to the courtroom. "Thank you, Mr. Merryweather, you may take your seat."

Draco, who was glad that they no longer made the accused sit in the middle of room, chained to a chair, fidgeted slightly between Merryweather and Potter.

"The charges against Mr. Malfoy are as follows: The use of an Unforgivable Curse on one Madam Rosmerta, proprietor of the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade Village; Attempted murder of one Katherine Margaret Bell; Attempted Murder of one Ron Bilius Weasley; Attempted Murder of one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore; That he knowingly and willingly formed a way to let Death Eaters, as well as a known werewolf, into Hogwarts; and Acquired the Dark Mark, marking him a Death Eater." Kingsley looked over at Draco and sighed. "These charges do not bode well with you, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco nodded. "Yes, sir, I know."

"We'll start with the last charge; is it true that you have been marked with the Dark Mark, given to you by Tom Riddle, also known as Voldemort?"

Draco nodded. "Yes, sir."

"And when did you obtain this Mark?"

"In July of 1996, right before I started my 6th year at Hogwarts, sir."

"And did you take this Mark willingly and of your choosing?"

Draco, knowing this answer would most likely secure him cell in Azkaban, swallowed audibly and said. "I did."

"Do you care to elaborate?" Kingsley asked with a quirked brow.

Draco nodded and stood, wanting to make sure everyone in the room, which was currently filled, heard him. "Growing up, I wanted to be just like my father. I wanted to look like him, act like him; do everything he did. I heard of stories, of the great Dark Lord. I heard of what he did and how my father was a part of it. I grew up idolizing the Dark Mark upon my father's left forearm for as long as I could remember." Draco stopped and sighed. "After what happened at the Ministry during 5th year, and my Father was imprisoned, the Dark Lord decided to take up residence at our Manor in Wiltshire. He needed someone to help infiltrate Hogwarts - to get inside somehow. What better way than a student? As punishment for my father being unable to obtain the prophecy regarding Harry Potter and himself, he chose me. He branded me, which I willing took, hoping that I could fulfill this deed, free my father, and that he would be proud of my accomplishments."

"And how did that go? Your… task?" asked Nickolas Jones, who was sitting to the left of Kingsley. He had long, dark blond hair that was pulled back in a ponytail with rectangle glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose.

"Turns out, I'm a rubbish Death Eater. I attempted a few times, and each time it harmed someone else. Miss Bell with a cursed necklace and Mr. Weasley with poisoned mead, both of which were meant for the Headmaster, but somehow were put in the wrong hands."

"And how did you get Death Eaters into Hogwarts?" This question was asked by Marianne Hall, a petite woman with short, brown hair sitting on Kingsley's right.

"There was a vanishing cabinet in the Room of the Lost Things at Hogwarts, with it's brother at the shop Borgin and Burkes, located in Nocturnally. My task was to the fix the broken cabinet at Hogwarts so that the Death Eaters waiting at the shop could come through. I.. I didn't know that Fenrir Greyback was with them."

"Do you regret any of it?" asked Kingsley?

Draco looked up at him and looked him straight in the eye. "Every day."

* * *

Hermione glanced at the clock again, noting that a half hour had passed. She wondered how long a hearing like these could take. She knew that with Kingsley residing as judge, that they wouldn't just toss Malfoy in a cell like Fudge would have; that he'd actually hear him out and listen to the facts.

Her stomach growled and she sighed. She started putting snacks in her bag so she wouldn't have to keep leaving her office to get food every hour or so. She fished around inside her charmed purse and pulled out an apple.

"Sorry love, no chocolate right now. Let's have a nice apple instead."

The baby inside her kicked as if throwing a fit.

Hermione smiled as she bit into the ripe fruit and returned to the work at her desk.

* * *

"We will now hear from the defence," Kingsley said.

Merryweather stood up. "Thank you sir. "

Merryweather walked around the desk until he was standing in front of Draco.

"Mr. Malfoy, what would have happened if either of your tasks weren't completed by the end of your 6th year term?"

"I, along with my mother, would be tortured before being killed," Draco said, glancing at his mother who gave him a reassuring nod.

"So it was either kill, or be killed, correct?"

"Yes," Draco answered, his voice cracking slightly.

"I don't know about you," Merryweather said, turning around to address the room. "But it seems to me that this young Malfoy here didn't really have a choice." He waited a beat before turning back to the table. "Mr. Potter. You were there on the night that Dumbledore was killed, is that correct?"

Harry nodded. "I was."

"Can you please let the people of the court know _exactly_ what happened?"

Harry nodded and stood up from his seat, but didn't leave Draco's side. "The moment we entered the Astronomy tower, Dumbledore petrified me and tossed an invisibility cloak over myself so I couldn't intervene or be seen. But could still hear and see, and I saw exactly what happened. Draco Malfoy had every opportunity to kill the Headmaster that night. They were alone and he had the advantage, seeing as how Dumbledore didn't have his wand because Malfoy took it. I could tell that Malfoy didn't _want_ kill Albus Dumbledore. He was….. shaking and crying." Draco flinched at that part, but didn't interrupt. "He even _lowered_ his wand. And I think, if the other Death Eaters hadn't came in at that very moment, that Malfoy might have actually taken up the protection that Dumbledore was trying to offer him."

The murmuring throughout the room increased and Kingsley gave them a full minute before clearing his voice and the room quieted once again. He nodded at Merryweather to continue.

"Thank you, Harry." The lawyer paced in front of the desk a few times before turning back to Draco. "Tell me about what happened with Madam Rosmerta, Katie Bell, and Ron Weasley."

"Yes, sir," Draco said. "I was worried about my mother; wondering if she was being tortured the longer I took to complete my task."

"The one to kill Dumbledore?"

"Yes, that is correct, as well as the cabinet, which I was having a large amount of trouble fixing and causing me a great deal of stress turmoil I attempted a few times to kill the Headmaster, like I said, but made mistakes… mistakes I genuinely regret. I had to _prove_ that I was trying, though. I had to send reports back home, hoping they were satisfactory enough. I procured a cursed opal necklace from Borgin and Burkes and I.. I imperiused Madam Rosmerta and gave her directions to imperious a female Hogwarts student who had just entered the girl's lavatory, to deliver the necklace to Dumbledore. That student was Katie Bell. I don't honestly know what happened after that, but I heard that one of her friends tried to take it from her and something happened where the necklace became unwrapped and Katie touched it, which cursed her."

"What do you think would have happened if that didn't happen? What if Miss Bell got the necklace to Dumbledore?"

Draco took a breath. "Honestly? I know he was smart. Too smart sometimes. I think he would have seen that she was imperiused... and probably suspect the necklace as well."

"Yet, you sent it anyways, knowing that it might not work?"

Draco nodded. "Yes."

"And the poisoned mead?"

"I made the poison myself while I was still at the Manor, on orders from Voldemort. I gave the mead to Madam Rosmerta who gave it to Professor Slughorn and told him that it was for Dumbledore. Part of me knew Dumbledore wouldn't drink it, but again, I had to try. I thought he would just tuck it away somewhere, but apparently Professor Slughorn never gave it to him, who then in turn shared it with Potter and Weasley. Weasley drank some first and was immediately affected so Potter and Slughorn didn't have any, thankfully."

"Mr. Potter, can you explain _why_ Professor Slughorn gave two students mead in the first place?" Kingsley asked with a raised brow. "Is this something I need to be concerned about?"

Harry stood up next again. "Er, no, sir. You see, Ron ate some chocolates that were meant for me and they were laced with a … a love potion. Ron was acting crazy, and the potency of the potion was very strong as they had been sitting for a long time, so I took him to Slughorn to get a remedy. Once Ron wasn't under the potion anymore, Slughorn offered a drink to… To make us feel better and calm the nerves, I suppose."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter," Kingsley said and Harry took his seat once more. "Mr. Merryweather, do you have any closing statements?"

Draco looked up nervously. Surely the trial can't be over already….

Merryweather nodded and gestured to Harry. "Yes sir. However, Mr. Potter would like to do it." Kingsley gestured for Harry to start. The raven haired man left Draco side to stand in the middle of the room.

"I'm not sure if many of you know this, but Malfoy and I, we've disliked each other since we were 11 years old. In fact, I still can't stand him sometimes," Harry paused while a few people in the room chuckled. "However, no matter how much of a git he was at school, and even though the charges are stacked against him, I don't believe he deserves to go to Azkaban, and I think when I'm done here, you'll see why."

Harry took a moment to pause. "The name Malfoy is very well-known here in London, especially among the Purebloods. They pride themselves on their blood status and it wasn't really a surprise when Draco Malfoy, the only child and heir to the Malfoy family, looked down on those who weren't of the same status; it was what he was taught his whole life and he honestly didn't know any other way. In school, we were adversaries due to either our blood status or our feuding houses. We argued about anything and everything. However… I knew he changed when Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and myself were captured by Snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor. They presented us to Draco and he had every opportunity to confirm our identity. But he didn't. In fact, when we were in the middle of escaping, he didn't even put up a fight when I tried to take his wand." Harry sighed and looked over at Draco briefly before looking around the room again. "It took me far too long to realize that everything he did during our 6th year and beyond, he did because he was forced too and he was under duress. It's like what Mr. Merryweather said earlier, that his choices were either to kill or be killed. What would _you_ do," Harry asked, pointing around the room. "If you were faced with those same ultimatums? Where your only choices were do what you were told or be tortured and killed?"

"Draco Malfoy, he's not a Death Eater. Not in the sense that you all think of when you hear the word; he was put in that position. And yes, he told us he took the Mark willingly, but really, what other choice did he have? He was just barely 16 when it happened, not even of age according to the Wizarding World. I want you all to think about that when you decide his verdict. Thank you."

Harry went back to the table and sat down again while the noise level surrounding them increased. Draco regarded Harry briefly, feeling a sense of gratitude towards the man next to him. His attention was brought back to the front when Kingsley cleared his throat and the room quieted once more.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. If that is all, then will you, Mr. Merryweather, and Mr. Malfoy please return to the waiting room where you were first taken too? Lunch has been served and we will reconvene once we have chosen our verdict."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful support and reviews! I just love them! Hopefully I'll get the next chapter up in a few days so you aren't wondering for TOO long how the trail went! ~HufflepuffMommy**_


	11. Chapter 11

Hermione let out a sigh of relief as she finished responding to the latest memo on her desk. With a glance at the clock, she noted that it was past lunch time and wondered briefly if Harry (and Draco, too) had eaten yet. Not being able to sit anymore, she opted to go home to eat, hoping that when she returned, there would be a verdict; whether good or bad.

She stood up and grabbed her robes, thankful that they still covered up her midsection, and was about to walk over to her door when it burst open.

Harry stood in the threshold, a huge smile on his face. "He's not going to Azkaban!" he stated.

Hermione gasped. "Really? They.. they decided already?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, they didn't take long in their deliberating. Of course, he still has to do another 2 months of house arrest, but after that, he's a free man."

Hermione smiled at her friend. "Thank Merlin. Have you eaten yet? I was about to head home to get some food."

Harry shrugged. "They gave us lunch while they deliberated, though none of us really ate. Malfoy was escorted back to his Manor already but he said to tell you that he'll see you tomorrow."

Hermione smiled. "Come on, let's go get Ron and grab some lunch. He's probably eaten, but knowing him, he wouldn't mind a second course."

Harry laughed and agreed, linking his elbow with Hermione as they walked down the hall to grab the third part of their trio.

* * *

"So what's the plan now?" Ron asked as he scooped up a piece of pie. He had indeed eaten lunch already, but that didn't stop him from joining his friends and ordering dessert while they ate hamburgers and crisps at a burger joint a few blocks from the Ministry.

Hermione shrugged as she finished chewing the burger that was in her mouth before answering. "I'm not really sure. I guess I'll have to speak with Malfoy tomorrow. I know we need to make an announcement at some point because I can't hide my stomach much longer. Even if we didn't say anything, people will assume the baby is yours Ron, but, after the baby is born and they see the Malfoy blond hair, rumors will be flying of my infidelity towards you." She sighed. "I want to get this story out before people blow it up out of proportion."

Ron contemplated what she said. "What makes you think the baby will have blond hair? He'll be part you too, you know."

She smiled at him. "True. But I have a feeling the Malfoy genes won't allow anything except blond hair."

Harry snorted back a chuckle as he stuffed a crisp in his mouth. "I betcha he'll have curly hair though."

Hermione laughed. "I guess we'll see." She placed a hand on her stomach. "I can't believe I'm already over halfway through my pregnancy."

"Are you nervous?" Harry asked genuinely.

"I'm a 19-year-old pregnant woman, who became pregnant under unconventional circumstances… Of course I'm nervous."

The three ate in silence for a moment before Hermione turned to Ron. "Are you coming tomorrow? To dinner at the manor?"

"Oh, I, er… I wasn't planning on it, honestly. I figured it would be best if just you went."

"You _are_ invited too," she pressed.

Ron scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I know, I just… I don't feel comfortable going back there, ya know?"

Hermione deadpanned at him. " _You_ don't feel comfortable there? _You_? You weren't the one tortured on the drawing room floor… you weren't the one who was-" She stopped herself, cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "I don't want to get into this here, but think about everything that I went through in that place and yet, I'm still willing to go, for the sake of my baby."

"Yeah, well, that's the thing. That's _your_ baby. Not mine. I shouldn't have to go back if I don't want too. I know you went through more than us Hermione, but I just.. I can't, ok?" Ron stood up. "I need to head back to work. I'll see you two later."

Harry and Hermione both watched as Ron walked out of the restaurant.

Hermione blinked back a few tears, turning to look at Harry. Harry's eyes were slightly wide. "I'll talk to him."

Hermione shook her head. "No, don't. It's not fair that you keep getting put in the middle."

"I'll tell Ginny then, and she'll smack him upside the head when she see's him at the Burrow later."

Hermione huffed out a breath. " _That_ , you can do."

* * *

Hermione went back to work with Harry but left shortly after; her work for the day was complete and she was starting to get a headache, so she asked her Department Head, Maxwell Newton, if it was alright to leave, and gave her the all-clear. She could have sworn he eyed her stomach for a second, but was hoping she was just being paranoid.

 _No matter_ , she thought to herself, _hopefully in the next week or so,_ _I won't have to hide this anymore._

Once home, she did something she never indulged in unless Ron was over; she turned on the telly and watched TV. She accio'd some ice-cream and a spoon from the kitchen, not caring that she'll most likely be ruining her dinner.

When the ice-cream was gone, and her eyes were blurry from watching too much TV, she turned it off and went in search of some parchment and a pen and began writing a draft of what she would want the article to say about her baby announcement.

Little did she know that Draco was doing the same thing miles away.

* * *

Ron didn't show up that night, and she saw him briefly at work the next day, but only in passing with a simple 'hello' exchanged. She knew they should talk, but she could only deal with so much drama in one day and she wanted to prepare herself for her evening in Wiltshire; she could deal with Ron later.

At 6:45, she floo'd to the manor, this time to an awaiting Draco in the entry parlor instead of a house elf. He was sitting in one of the plush chairs with a book in hand.

"Congratulations," she said as she stepped out, offering him a sincere smile.  
Draco nodded, closing his book. "Thank you. Potter says that you helped him with his speech about me, so, thank you for that as well."

"We both believe everything he said," she said in earnest.

Unsure of what to say, and feeling slightly uncomfortable, Draco just nodded while Hermione ruffled through her bag, pulling out some parchment.

"I was thinking about how we'll need to announce the baby sometime soon. I began working on a draft for an article," she said, handing it to him.

Draco chuckled as he took the parchment. "I was doing the same thing," he said, then scanned the document and nodded. "It's about the same of what I have. Maybe after dinner, we can compare and put together an article to submit to the Prophet?"

"Sounds good. I found out that Padma Patil works there, so maybe I can send it to her?"

"If you want, though we have contacts there too," Draco said with a shrug, handing the parchment back to her.

Hermione placed the parchment back in her bag. "Oh, I also heard from Healer Clearwater. Is next Monday ok for the appointment?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah, that works." He motioned his head towards the entryway. "Dinner will be ready soon so we should probably head over."

She nodded, stepping in line with him as they walked down the expansive hall. "So have you given any more thought as to names?" she asked.

Draco looked at her with a raised a brow. "I'm still holding out for Scorpius."

Hermione chuckled. "Not happening, Malfoy. Though, I do think I found one that I like. Before I tell you the name though, I want you to really consider other names as an option."

Draco sighed dejectedly. "Alright, I guess I can do that."

Hermione reached over and patted his arm. "Don't worry. I'm sure whatever girl you marry will allow you to name your next son whatever you want."

Draco snorted. "What makes you think anyone will want to marry _me_?"

Hermione lifted a brow as they rounded the corner to the dining room. "Because you're Malfoy? Rich, Pureblood-"

"Death Eater," he said dryly.

" _Ex_ -death Eater," Hermione pointed out as he pulled out her chair for her.

Draco shook his head as he took his own seat. "It's not like any of these witches are knocking down my door."

"Well, I'm sure once your house arrest is over and you can actually make your presence known again, that that will change."

He shrugged as house elves started to bring out food. "I'm not even sure I want to get married. Like you said, most of the witches who want be with me are in it for my Gringotts vault and Pureblood status." He took a sip of his pumpkin juice. "Also, it's not like I need an heir or anything; that's already covered," he said with a nod towards her stomach.

Hermione placed a hand where he indicated. "Yes, but, if you marry a pureblood witch and have a child with her, then you will also have a pureblood child… isn't that important to you?"

Draco looked at her passively. "Not anymore." Hermione raised her brows as he continued. "A child is a child and I won't deem one more important than the other because of blood status."

Hermione's eyes watered and she hurriedly wiped them away, grumbling. "Sorry, hormones… I just… that really means a lot."

Draco nodded and cleared his throat, taking a bite of food. "So when would you want to go to Australia?"

Hermione looked up at him, mid-bite. "You still want to go?" she asked, surprised.  
"Granger, I've been stuck in this Manor for months and still have two more to go. I want to go _anywhere_ and _everywhere_ when I'm free."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "I suppose you have a point." She finally took a bite of food as she thought about what he said. "I'll have to look at my schedule, and also when the cut-off is for traveling magically while pregnant. We may have to resort to muggle transportation."

"Er, what?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "Don't worry, it's very safe."

He looked at her skeptically but didn't say more as they both continued eating. It was ten minutes into their meal before Hermione looked up and then around. "I just realized; Where's your mother?"

"She's out, actually. Visiting her sister," he stated.

"Her sis… Oh! She and Andromeda are in contact again?"

"Yes, thanks to Potter actually."

Hermione smiled happily. "Oh, that's wonderful! Andromeda had been fretting over getting in touch with your mother for a while. I'm so glad they are reconnecting."

Draco looked as if he was thinking and in a debate with himself before he finally looked at Hermione again. "Can you tell me about her? And my cousin, Nymphadora, was it?" he asked hesitantly.

Hermione gave him a soft smile and nodded. "I'd love too. And it's 'Tonks', not Nymphadora. She'll probably come back and haunt you if call her by anything else."

* * *

By the time Hermione returned to back to her flat, it was way past her bedtime. She stifled a yawn as she stepped through her floo, then yelped in surprise as she realized there was an occupant on her couch.

"Ron!" she said, as she placed a hand on her chest. "You scared me."

He frowned as she set her bag down, then stood up, crossing his arms over his chest. "Where have you been?"

Hermione sighed. "We talked about this earlier, remember? I was at the Malfoys."

"This _whole_ time?" he asked incredulously.

"I admit it's later than I expected, but Malfoy and I were busy talking about the Prophet article that we're writing and then we submitted it by owl right before I left. It should be in the paper either tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest."

"So you two spent _four hours_ discussing a Prophet article?" he asked skeptically.  
"We also talked about other things as well, sure… what's gotten into you?" she asked, frowning and crossing her arms, mirroring his stance.

"Nothing, I just, I don't like that you were there for so long by yourself, you know?"

Hermione lifted a brow. "Well, as I told you before, you _are_ invited to come along, especially if you're so worried about my safety. Though honestly, there's nothing to worry about-"

"How do you know?" he asked, cutting her off. "How do you know that Malfoy isn't just playing nice to get in your good graces and then once the baby comes, he'll either disown him for not be pureblood or take him away from you?"

"Draco wouldn't do that," she said defiantly.

"Oh, so it's _Draco_ now?" he spat.

She rolled her eyes at him. "We're attempting to use our given names more, seeing as how just using our surnames is a bit silly, given the circumstances."

Ron let out a heavy sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his frustration and anger visibly vanishing in that single act. "I wish we weren't in this circumstance at all."

Hermione's arms dropped as she walked over to him. "I know, but we are, and we can't change any of that." She looked into his eyes, flickering between his two bright blue ones before shaking her head sadly and gripping his arms with her hands. "I can't keep fighting with you about this Ron. Not about the baby, or about Draco, or going to the manor. You need to start being ok with this. _Please_?" she squeezed his arms slightly, waiting for a response.

"And if I can't? If I can't ever be ok with this?" he asked quietly, looking down.

Despite the ache in her chest at his words, Hermione kissed his cheek. "We'll figure that out when the time comes."

* * *

 _ **A/N: I know some of you won't agree with the verdict, but for the purpose of this story, this is how it will go haha! There are things that I want to happen before the baby comes and Draco can't do that if he's in a cell. As for Hermione and Ron, they're still together, but, barely. I find it** **hilarious** **when half of my reviews are begging for them to split so that the Dramione portion can start! It'll happen, but it'll be a slow burn, so you have to be patient ;)**_  
 _ **As always, mucho thanks to my friend and Hufflepuff Twin, Sweet Little Bullet! ~HufflepuffMommy**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**An Unconventional Pregnancy**_

 _Announcement Written and Submitted by Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy_

 _Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy would like to inform the Wizarding World that, due to unfortunate circumstances during the war, Granger and Malfoy are expecting a child. They would like to set record straight before any rumors start, that Draco Malfoy did_ _ **not**_ _force himself onto Granger by choice, but the act was forced upon him by means of the Imperious curse, given by Bellatrix Lestrange, just weeks before the War ended. Granger is due in roughly four months. Both Granger and Malfoy have agreed to parent the child through joint custody. The two of them ask politely that they not be bothered with specific details about what happened or of their current private lives._

Hermione read the article over twice before she nodded with satisfaction and returned to her breakfast. She was both relieved and terrified that the article was printed first thing the following day. The weight of keeping the baby a secret was finally off her shoulders and she felt lighter already (although the scale in the bathroom said otherwise). However, now she had to go to work and deal with, well, _everyone_. She almost wished she could skip work today.

Almost.

As it was, thirty minutes later, she found herself walking through the Ministry with her head held high and smiling at passersby's who greeted her. She let out a sigh of relief as she made it to her office without incident, and for the first time in weeks, she was able to keep the door open. She hummed happily to herself as she started going through the stack of memos on her desk before starting her work day.

* * *

Draco sighed as he folded up the Daily Prophet, placing it between him and mother as he finally picked up his spoon to eat his morning grits.

"Everything alright, dear?" his mother asked.

He nodded towards the paper. "The article about mine and Granger's baby made the morning edition. The Daily must be having a field day over there; first with the full, front-page article in yesterday's edition; and now this, while not front-page, is still more excitement they've had in awhile."

"So why the grim mood?" she asked.

He sighed, setting down his spoon, his appetite replaced with nerves. "I'm just waiting for the hate mail and howlers to start pouring in. No matter what Potter said at my hearing, or what the paper says about this baby, there are going to be many people who won't agree or believe any of it."

"Yes, well, we were expecting that," his mother said, placing a delicate hand over his. "And we'll get through it. We always do," she said with a soft smile.

"I suppose you're right," he said, picking up his spoon once again. "How was your meeting with your sister?"

Her face instantly lit up with a brilliant smile. "It went rather well, all things considered. And it wasn't so much as a meeting, but a get-together. We're going to try and do it more often, maybe once a week." She smiled wistfully. "And that darling baby, Teddy, is just adorable." She looked over at Draco and sighed. "I know this child Miss Granger is carrying is not of your choosing, but I'm so very excited to be a grandmother."

Draco nodded and cleared his throat. "Speaking of the baby, there is to be another prenatal visit at Manor next Monday."

"Oh, do hope we can see him and see how much he's grown," the grandmother-to-be gushed. She continued on about starting up the nursery but Draco was lost his own thoughts, a ghost of a smile crossing his features. He, too, hoped to be able to see the baby, his _son_ , again, and maybe this time, he'd be able to think of a name other than Scorpius when doing so.

* * *

As soon as Hermione stepped out from her floo and into her living, she slipped off her shoes with an audible sigh. Her feet were killing her and were slightly swollen; she had been all around the Ministry today, submitting files and tracking down other witches and wizards for signatures. She was so close to her bill heading to the Wizengamot, but the extra leg-work today was exhausting. She never deemed herself out of shape; on the contrary, she felt she was quite fit after months of Horcrux hunting; but this pregnancy was draining her energy faster than a Dementor drains souls.

Setting her bag down, she sat on her couch sideways and put her legs out in front of her. She was about to use her wand to summon some food from the kitchen when her floo charmed to life and Ginny stepped out.

"Hey Gin," Hermione greeted her friend tiredly. "What's up?"

Ginny sat down on the couch next to her friend, picking up Hermione's feet and placing them on her lap. "Just stopping by to see how you were doing. I saw the article in the paper and wanted to make sure everything was ok."

"Everything's great. I had a few more stares than usual, but nothing horrible. I'm just exhausted because I was running around today and now my feet are killing me."

Ginny inspected her friend's feet. "They do look a little swollen. Here, put them on this pillow to elevate them and I'll go grab you some water."

"Love you, Gin!" Hermione called out the redhead walked over to the kitchen. She came out a few seconds later, handing Hermione a full glass of ice water.

"Drink up, we don't want you to get dehydrated."

"Yes, _mum_ ," Hermione said with a grin. She took a hearty sip as Ginny sat back down.

"So I hate to ask, but, did Ron happen to come see you today?" Ginny asked hesitantly.

Hermione shook her head before taking another sip of water. "No, actually. I didn't see him or Harry. I figured they were training outside of the Ministry today." She raised a brow. "Why?"

Ginny sighed. "Ron's just… being Ron. He saw the announcement you submitted-"

"Which I told him about last night," Hermione interjected.

"Yeah, well, it still made him grumpy. Though, you are correct; he and Harry were out today in training so, hopefully, he was able to get out some frustrations while out."

Hermione groaned. "I hate walking on eggshells around him, Gin. I love him, I know he's your brother, but…"

"He's making this difficult?" Ginny supplied.

"Yes. And I get it, I really, really do. I just don't want this to ruin us, you know?"

Ginny nodded. "I know." She patted her friend's leg as Hermione took another gulp of water. "Do you have dinner plans? Harry sent me a Patronus and told me that they won't be getting back until late."

"I have fixings for pork chops that I was planning on making," Hermione said. "Want to stay for dinner? I have plenty."

"Sure, but, I'll cook. You lay here and rest," Ginny said with a serious tone.

Hermione sighed and knew it was useless to argue. "Alright. Thank Gin."

Ginny went into the small kitchen and rummaged through the refrigerator and found the package of pork chops and a few ears of corn as well as potatoes in the pantry. Getting to work, Ginny hummed to herself as she prepared the meal. Once the pork and potatoes were in the oven, and the corn was starting to boil on the stove, Ginny went into the living room to see how Hermione was doing. She chuckled as she walked over to her friend, who was currently passed out on the couch, an empty glass on the floor next to her.

Ginny finished up dinner and put a status charm on Hermione's plate before she packed her own to go, letting Hermione get the rest she obviously needed.

Hermione woke two hours later to an empty house.

"Gin?" she called out sleepily. She got up and went into the kitchen, where her plate of food, and a note, were waiting for her.

 _Sorry for leaving without saying anything, but mum always told me never  
to wake a sleeping pregnant woman or else there will be hell to pay.  
_ _Dinner is under a stasis spell. Enjoy! I'll talk to you tomorrow.  
_ _Love,  
_ _Ginny_

Hermione chuckled at the letter from her friend then retrieved her wand to undo the spell on her food. She sat down after pouring herself a glass of pumpkin juice and ate her meal in the quiet, wondering if Ron would stop by that night.

He didn't.

* * *

Enough was enough, Hermione decided, as she still hadn't seen or heard from Ron the next day. It was lunch time and she made sure to leave her office earlier than she normally would and wound her way through the corridors until she reached the Auror's office. She took a breath then opened the door to the busy and bustling area. There were no offices here, just desks all around a large room, with everyone milling around each other's areas freely. It would have driven Hermione mad.

She marched through the room, weaving in between desks until she came upon Ron's area, his head down as he was writing on a piece of parchment. Sensing someone standing over him, Ron said, "I said I'd get this to you at noon, Roland, no need too…" he looked up then, at the amused face of Hermione. "Oh! 'Mione! I, uh, I thought you were someone else."

Hermione smiled at his flustered state. "So I see. Are you free for lunch?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah! Let me just finish this real quick and we can go, ok?"

Hermione nodded and conjured up a seat for her to sit in as she waited.

She glanced around the room, noting that others in the room kept glancing her way and talk quietly. She decided to ignore it and sit up straighter, thankful when Ron said he was done.

"So where do you want to go?" he asked as they left the busy Auror office.

"My place?" she asked. "I'm just tired of eating out."

Ron nodded. "Sure. Yeah. That's fine."

They walked through the Ministry towards the network of fireplaces and soon found themselves in Hermione's flat.

"I need to ask you something," Hermione asked, as she walked towards the kitchen, Ron following in her wake.

"What is it?" Ron asked, opening up the refrigerator and taking out fixings for sandwiches while Hermione grabbed drinks.

"Are you avoiding me?" she started.

"Um..." Ron started.

"Because you're barely around anymore. You never stay the night. Ginny said you were in a 'mood' yesterday after reading the pregnancy announcement in the paper, and-"

"Hermione, slow down. You're getting worked up and that's not good for the baby," Ron said, setting down the sandwiches he was making to walk over to her and pull her into a hug. "I'm not avoiding you… at least not consciously. Yes, I was in a bad mood yesterday about the announcement-"

"But _why_?" she asked desperately, stepping out of the hug. "I warned you it was coming-"

"Because now everyone looks at me differently, ok!" Ron exclaimed. "They give the pity looks. Like, 'Poor bloke, his girlfriend got knocked up by a death eater'-"

"Ex-death eater..." Hermione interjected quietly.

"He was still a Death Eater, 'Mione. And before you lecture me, yes I know he was made to do everything. Why didn't he just go to Dumbledore, huh? Get out of there before it was too late? That's what I would have done-"

"Ron, his mother would have died! Don't you understand? It wasn't just him on the line, but his mother too. Would you have left your mother in the hands of a madman?"

"I…. no, no I wouldn't have," Ron said, sighing, going back to making sandwiches. "This is hard 'Mione," he said after a moment. "I really am trying, but I feel like all we do is fight now. Whether it's over Malfoy or the baby…."

"What are you saying, Ron?" Hermione asked, her heart stuttering.

"I… I'm not sure," he turned around finally, his eyes finding hers. "But I hate the fighting. It was better, before, when we were just…."

"Friends" she finished quietly.

Ron nodded sadly, looking down. "Yeah."

Hermione sucked in a shuddering breath, willing the tears not to come. "Ok then."

Ron's head lifted. "Ok, what?"

"We'll… We'll go back to that then. To just being friends." It broke her heart to say it, but deep down, she knew this was the best thing for them.

"Are you sure?" he asked, walking up to her.

Hermione nodded, wiping away a tear. "I'm tired of the fighting too, Ron. I love you, but… this isn't working. Not right now. Maybe, someday, down the line…"

Ron nodded. "Yeah, maybe." There was an awkward pause before Ron turned back to the counter. "Um, the sandwiches are done."

"Oh, um… thank you," she said, taking her plate. "You can stay. For lunch, I mean. Just because we're not… not dating anymore, doesn't mean you can't come over and hang out."

Ron gave her a small smile and nodded as they made their way to the small table and sat down to eat.

They talked while they ate, both of their hearts slightly heavy, but also lighter at the same time.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I suspect a lot of my reviews will be mostly happy that they FINALLY broke up. They're still friends, and there's still a ways to go before Draco and Hermione even get to close to being in a relationship. But, at least now the possibility is there. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! ~HufflepuffMommy**_


	13. Chapter 13

The news of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger breaking up ran rampant through the Ministry by the end of the week. The constant questions, the 'coming in to see if she was ok', and sympathy looks all grated on her nerves, to the point where Hermione had to go home early three days in a row due to a headache. Hermione opened up the Daily Prophet on Friday morning and groaned when she saw the big, bold title of her and Ron's relationship status. She pointedly decided not to read the article, tossing it in the recycling bin before getting ready for work, thankful that she'll have a bit of a reprieve for a few days once the workday was over.

Even though Ron never really moved in, her flat still seemed lonely without his things in it; he had cleared out his drawer and took home the few bathroom items he left there. It made Hermione cry more than once and she hoped at some point her heart wouldn't hurt when she didn't see his cinnamon toothpaste on the counter.

She kept herself busy, finally choosing a paint color for the baby's room and set about painting the now-empty room a light pale green color. She had almost gone with blue, but there was a nudge within her that was pulling for her to get green instead.

"Slytherin to the core already, huh little man?" she mumbled to the baby as she painted on the first coat of primer.

Harry, Ginny, and even Ron, surprisingly, stopped by that afternoon and was tasked to help paint (and to their chagrin, the muggle way) with a promise of pizza and butterbeer afterward.

Ginny convinced Hermione to go baby shopping on Sunday and two girls spent all hours, and most of Hermione's Gringotts vault, on some of the most precious items she had ever seen. Ladened with bags filled with clothes, and filled-out order forms for the bigger items that would be delivered within the next few weeks, Hermione set all the wears on the floor of the nursery, feeling utterly exhausted. She took some headache potion that she'd been keeping on hand lately, sat down on the couch with her feet propped up, and dug into some chocolate chip ice-cream while flipping through the telly.

* * *

The next morning found Hermione back at Malfoy Manor, though this time she was slightly more excited due to the prospect of seeing the baby again. Draco and his mother were both waiting in the Entry Parlor when she arrived, the latter getting up to greet Hermione with a smile and soft hug.

"I wasn't able to convey my thanks on Tuesday night, so I wanted to do it now. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for helping my Draco," the elder witch said softly in Hermione's ear.

Hermione squeezed her slightly back. "You're most welcome."

Narcissa let go of Hermione and looked towards the floo. "Is it just you today, dear?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. Ron and I, well, we've decided to just be friends for the time being. I'm surprised you haven't heard, with it being splashed all about the Proohet."

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear," Narcissa said. "I haven't been reading the Prophet lately; I canceled it after Draco's trial."

Draco stood and walked over to the two women, opening his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the floo going off, this time with Healer Clearwater stepping through.

Ten minutes later, the group of people were in the designated bedroom again, and Hermione noted that the decor was now in soft purple and greys and she instantly loved it. She felt more relaxed than she had been in a long time, so, it came with great surprise with what Healer Clearwater said next.

"Hm, it seems as though your blood pressure is still a touch high," she looked up at Hermione. "How have you been feeling? Any swelling? Headaches?"

Hermione frowned and nodded. "Yes. Both, actually."

"How often?"

"Almost daily, I think? I've had to leave work early a few times because my headaches were unbearable," Hermione supplied.

"Is this something we need to worry about?" Draco asked, his eyes flicking between Hermione and the Healer, a slight worry upon his features.

"It's not too high right now, but it is something we need to look out for. High blood pressure can cause preeclampsia, which can be harmful to both the mother and the baby and could cause you to go into preterm labor."

Hermione licked her lips nervously. "What can I do?"

"You need to stay off your feet as much as possible and not be under too much stress. Lower your amount of salt intake and be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day."

Hermione groaned. "I feel like I'm already drinking the Black Lake daily as it is. Any more and I'll have to start wearing nappies."

Healer Clearwater chuckled. "Then you're probably fine on water intake. Just make sure to rest, a lot. If you feel off or have any questions, you can floo call me. I also want to see you in two weeks, instead of three, just to check your blood pressure again. Right now it's still border-line ok, but if it goes higher, I might have to put you on bedrest."

Hermione nodded. "Ok."

Clearwater smiled and looked around the room. "Alright, let's check on the baby and get some more measurements so we can take a peek at him, shall we?"

The mood in the room lightened immediately as an image of the baby floated above Hermione.

"He looks healthy and having tons of movement, which is great. His heartbeat is around 156, which is strong and steady." A tape measure flew out of the healer's wand and she did a few measurements. "He's measuring right at 23-weeks which is perfect. You have a very healthy baby, Hermione." Healer Clearwater looked over at Draco. "You can come closer for a better look, if you want?"

Draco nodded, his eyes never leaving the image of his son as he stepped closer. He smiled as watched his son yawn, then stick a thumb in his mouth. Hermione watched Draco watch his son and her heart swelled. If she ever questioned whether Draco would love this baby or not, this erased all doubt she ever had.

As Narcissa walked Healer Clearwater out, Draco hung back, waiting on Hermione.  
"You know, if you find that you need… help, or anything, you can come here," he said, motioning to the room. "You have a place to stay."

Hermione smiled slightly and nodded. "I know, and I appreciate it. But, my I love my little flat It's, well, my _home_. You understand, right?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah."

They walked out of the room and down the hall towards the stairs. "So have you given any more thought as to names?" Hermione asked.

"I did, actually, and you're right. He doesn't look like a Scorpius." He glanced in her direction. "What name did you have in mind?"

Hermione smiled excitedly and they both stopped walking as she started to rummage through her bag. She pulled out the Black Family Tree copy that he gave her weeks before, unrolled it, and handed it to Draco. She watched as he scanned the names, his eyes finally landing on the one that was starred and circled a few times.

He looked up at her with a quirked brow. "Do you have a middle name to go with it?"

"Joseph, after my father," she said.

Draco contemplated the name in his mind, before nodding once. "I like it. We should keep our options open though, just in case we come across another name before he's born."

"I'll agree to that, but I'm pretty sure this is it," she said, taking the parchment and putting it back in her bag. "I painted the nursery yesterday," she stated as they started down the steps.

"Oh?" he asked.

"Yes. I was going to paint it a nice baby blue, but for some reason, I got a green color instead. I blame you and your Slytherin genes," she teased lightly.

Draco chuckled. "Mother has started plans on the nursery for here, too. It's actually next to the room we have the appointments in, which is only across the hall from mine."

"Oh… maybe next time after the appointment I can see it? If it that's alright, that is," she asked as they rounded the corner to the entry parlor.

"I don't see why not, unless Mother wants it as a surprise. I'll have to ask her," he said with a nod.

"Thank you," she said. She glanced at the fireplace. "Well, I should head off to work."

"You know, if work is stressing you out too much-"

"Don't worry, I plan on talking to my supervisor about cutting back my workload for a bit," she said.

"Or you can just go on early maternity leave," he suggested. "If money is an issue, I can-"

"I appreciate it Malfoy," Hermione said, cutting him off. "But I'm fine. Besides, I still have seventeen weeks left of this pregnancy, more if I go overdue. I would go mad not being able to work."

Draco let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his tresses. "Fine."

"I need to go. I probably have a mountain of paperwork on my desk by now," she said. She ignored the frown that Draco gave her. "I'll see you tomorrow." With that, she disappeared into the green flames.

Draco shook his head, muttering under his breath, "Damn bloody, stubborn witch" as he left the room, heading towards his office for a glass of Ogden's Finest.

* * *

Hermione made it her first priority to talk to her supervisor about lessening her workload as soon as she got into work. It hurt to do so, but if it was better for her and the baby, then she was willing to do it. Once back at her office, she had delegated tasks to others, leaving only the minimal for herself. When lunch rolled around, she was already going stir-crazy from lack of work and welcomed to the invite for lunch by Harry and Ron.

"How did your appointment go?" Ron asked as they walked down the sidewalk of Muggle London.

Hermione looked at him, surprised he even remembered. "It went well. The healer is a bit concerned with my blood pressure though, so I have to take it easy and not stress out-"

"Good luck with that," Harry snickered to Ron, who earned himself a smack on the arm by Hermione playfully.

" _Like I was saying_ , I have to keep my blood pressure down and one of the key factors is stress, so I've been delegating my workload amount to my colleges."

"And how's that going for you?" Ron asked, trying not to laugh.

"It's going well, thank you," she said primly. She ignored the sniggers from her two companions as they continued on their walk.

They entered the small bistro and Hermione looked around, looking for a table to seat the three of them. "I'm going to go sit down. My feet are killing me right now from walking. Can you order my usual?" she asked Harry.

Harry nodded, waving off the money she was trying to hand him, and she gladly went and sat down, resting her aching feet on the chair across from her.

"Blimey 'Mione, were your ankles always that big?" Ron asked as he walked up to the chair her feet were currently on.

Hermione glared at him as she set her feet back on the ground. "No, Ronald. And way to be tactful. You're not supposed to tell a pregnant woman they're big, no matter what body part it may be."

Ron flushed slightly as he sat down and was thankful when Harry showed up with two meals, handing one to Hermione.

"We don't have to walk back if you don't want too," Harry suggested.

"No, it's fine, I can walk-"

"We're taking a taxi, and that's final," Harry said, with Ron nodding in agreement. "I was only giving you the option to be polite, but really, you have no say."

Hermione smiled at them. "What would I do without you guys?"

"Probably be less stressed," Ron said with a mouthful of food and the three of them laughed as they continued their meal.


	14. Chapter 14

Two weeks flew by and Hermione was finally getting used to her new workload regiment. Her hard work (or really, lack thereof) paid off, as Healer Clearwater told her that her blood pressure was reading at a normal level at the following appointment.

"You still need to take it easy. Just keep doing what you're doing. Since you are 25 weeks pregnant, I won't need to see you again for another month, but after that, we'll start seeing you every two weeks, ok?"

Hermione nodded. "Sounds good." She glanced over at Draco. "Do you want to have the appointment at my flat? You'll be off of house arrest, right?"

Draco walked over to them; his hands in his pockets. "Can we make it so that the appointment is on that Tuesday instead of Monday? I get off of house arrest that day and I don't know how long that process will take."

Clearwater smiled. "Yes, we can do that. I'll make sure to note the location in my appointment calendar when I get back to the office." She turned her attention back to Hermione. "Now, I want to remind you, that just because the appointment isn't for another four weeks, if you feel like you need to be seen before then, just floo-call me."

Hermione smiled. "I will. Thank you, Healer Clearwater."

She and Draco bid Healer Clearwater goodbye as she was led out of the room by one of the house elves. Narcissa had gone out to lunch with her sister and Teddy, leaving the two parents-to-be alone for this appointment.

Draco stood back as Hermione gathered her things, as usual, but when she exited the room and turned towards the stairs, Draco grabbed onto her upper arm gently, halting her steps.

"I thought you wanted to see the nursery?" he said as a response to her questioning frown.

Her features changed from confusion to surprise as she nodded excitedly. "Oh, yes please! I completely forgot."

"It's just the next door over," he indicated with his head, walking further down the hall while Hermione followed.

The large, oak door to the room was closed, as were all the others in this hall. She looked across at where Draco's room was located and noted that a carved out "D" was crafted into the door itself.

Draco, glancing to where Hermione was looking. "When he comes, we'll add his initial to his door, like how mine is. Since we're not telling anyone his name yet, it'll have to wait until after he's born."

Hermione nodded, thankful that he had agreed on keeping the name a secret for the time being.

She turned to face the nursery door and gave Draco a nod for him to open it. When he did, she couldn't help but gape at the room in awe.

It was painted a pale green, the same green that she had painted hers, and the size of the room matched the one that she had her appointments in. The crib, changing table, and dresser were all made of a light colored wood, probably oak, and matched beautifully. The light grey curtains were pulled back with green tie-backs, letting the sun shine through the window, making the whole room seem light and airy.

There was a circular rug in the middle of the room that was dark blue, the color of the night sky. On it, she could make out a few constellations, but the most prominent one was in the middle; the constellation Draco.

"My mother made that when she was pregnant with me. It was in my nursery and playroom for as long as I could remember," he explained.

"It's beautiful," she said as she knelt down and inspected it. "And very soft."

Draco nodded. "Yes. Dobby and I would sit and play on there for hours and I would eventually fall asleep right on my constellation."

Hermione chuckled lightly as she stood up, walking over to the small toy chest in the corner of the room. She opened it up was surprised to see a few stuffed animals and toys were already inside.

"Yours?" she asked over her shoulder as he walked over to peer inside.

"Hm, it seems Mother went into the attic and dug out a few of my favorites," he reached in and pulled out a dark green stuffed Dragon and smiled fondly at it. "I slept with this until I was nearly 10. My father told me that unless I wanted to bring it to Hogwarts, that I needed to stop. I gave it to him, so I wouldn't be tempted, and I thought he tossed it."

Hermione smiled at the story and plucked the stuffed animal from Draco's hands, walking it over to the crib and placing it inside.

"So what do you think of the room?" he asked, as Hermione went over to the rocking chair and sat down, testing it out.

"I love it. The whole room seems so fresh and airy." She looked up at him. "He'll love it when he's here, I'm sure. Especially since it's the same color as his room at my flat."

Draco chuckled softly, nodding his head towards the door. "Would you like some breakfast before heading off to the Ministry?"

Hermione shook her head as she stood up from the rocking chair. "Thank you, but I already ate. I essentially need to eat as soon as I wake up or I feel sick to my stomach."

"Maybe some other time then," he said as they walked out of the nursery.

"Are you excited to be getting off of house arrest? Just another month, right?"

"Twenty-eight days. It can't come soon enough," he said with a sigh.

"Do you have any plans with your friends?" she asked as they walked down the stairs.

"Not yet, but knowing Blaise, he'll want to go out to a few pubs," he said with a shrug.

"Well, I'm sure you'll have fun," she said as they entered the entryway parlor. "I've already adjusted the wards to let you through, so you can come by whenever you want once you're free."

Draco nodded. "Alright."

"Have a good rest of the day, Draco. I'll see you for dinner tomorrow," Hermione said as she stepped into the floo.

"Same to you-" he replied just as she disappeared into green flames. "-Hermione."

* * *

While the two weeks had seemed to fly by for Hermione, the following month seemed to drag on for Draco. The closer he got to end of his house arrest, the slower the days seemed to go. He looked forward to Tuesday evenings more and more as the time went on, always surprised at how much bigger Hermione looked each time. Of course, he'd never actually say that; he didn't have a death wish after all.

Blaise came over a few times a week as well, just to hang out and talk. Draco figured his friend was bored, seeing as how almost everyone they knew were either in Azkaban or out of the country for a bit. Even Theo Nott, who had taken off before the war started, hadn't returned yet.

Halloween was fast approaching, one of Draco's favorite holiday. Part of him wished he was still a child, able to dress up and get candy from one of the neighboring Wizarding villages. As it was, all he planned to do was eat sweets, perhaps carve a pumpkin for old time sake, and think about how the following year would be very different; he'd be able to take his son out to celebrate his favorite holiday (even if he was only going to be around 8 months old at the time).

He wondered if Hermione liked Halloween.

* * *

"Come on, Hermione. You really should go!" Ginny encouraged. Hermione had gotten off of work an hour earlier and was at Harry's house for dinner. Ginny had come up with the idea to hold a Halloween party on the roof of Weasley Wizarding Wheezes and was currently trying to invite everyone she knew; including Hermione.

"Oh Gin, I don't know," Hermione said tiredly, her feet propped up on the coffee table. "I don't have anything to _wear_ to a costume party and I don't want to be the only one not dressed up."

"There's still two days, I'm sure you could come up with something," Ginny said, propping her feet up next to her friends. "You _are_ the brightest witch of our age.."

Hermione waved her off. "Yeah, yeah." She glanced over at Ginny, who was currently protruding her lip and batting her eyes. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Alright alright, put the lip away, I'll go."

"Thank you!" Ginny said, smiling triumphantly. "So what are you thinking of dressing up as?"

Hermione shrugged. "No clue, but I'll think of something."

"You need to dress as something that will show off your pregnant belly," Ginny said, placing her hand on top of the mound, receiving a kick in return.

"Ginny, _everything_ I wear shows off my belly," Hermione said dryly.

"You know what I mean! Like, you can dress up as a black cat, and paint your stomach like a fish bowl, or be a snow globe… something like that."

Hermione looked at her friend skeptically. "I'll… think about it."

"Think about what?" Harry asked as he entered the living room with some refreshments; butterbeer for him and Ginny and pumpkin juice for Hermione.

"Ginny conned me into going to her Halloween party," Hermione said, looking pointedly at the red-head.

"Let me guess; she used the pouty lip?" he asked.

"And batted her eyelashes," Hermione said, nodding.

Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "That's how she got me to agree to go too."

Ginny huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, someone needs to get you two out of your houses. All you two ever want to do is stay home."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to stay home and relax," Hermione said hotly. "And I'll have you know that starting next week, I will be going out every Thursday night."

"Is it for a class?" Ginny asked pointedly.

Hermione flushed. "It's a parenting class, yes. It goes over the basics of how to tend to a newborn, with and without the use of magic. And after that class is over with, I need to look into Lamaze classes."

"Are you going to ask Malfoy to go with you? To the classes" Harry asked, sipping his drink.

Hermione shook her head. "No. I wasn't planning on it. We're not… we're not a couple; we're barely becoming friends. I won't ask him to attend classes with me and make him feel obligated to go."

"If you want, I'll go with you to the Lamaze classes," Ginny said. "You're going to need a support system and coach, and I don't trust Harry to be able to handle you seeing you in pain; no offense, Love."

Harry smiled gratefully. "None taken."

Hermione's eyes watered slightly at her friend while she nodded. "I'd like that very much, Gin. Thank you."

"Anything for you," Ginny said, reaching over and squeezing Hermione's hand briefly before letting go. "Are you planning on having Malfoy in the delivery room with you?" she asked.

"I… I honestly don't know. I know usually the father is, for support, but like I said earlier, our situation is different. Though, I guess this does bring up potential topics to discuss on Tuesday night."

The three sat in silence for a moment, each drinking their preferred beverage before Ginny squealed. "Merlin, I think I got it!" she said excitedly.

"Got what, Gin?" Harry asked with an amused frown.

"I know what Hermione should be for Halloween!"

Hermione groaned into her pumpkin juice, already regretting her decision to go.

* * *

"Gin, I look _ridiculous_ ,' Hermione said as she stood in front of the full-length mirror two days later.

"It's Halloween, you're _supposed_ to look ridiculous," Ginny informed, putting the last touches of her makeup on for her own costume.

"But… a snitch?" Hermione asked incredulously. Her stomach was currently painted to look like a golden snitch, with charmed wings that fluttered ever so slightly every thirty seconds on each side. The rest of her was covered in black; black leggings along with a black sweater, a hole cut right in the middle for her Snitch-like stomach, and black flats. Ginny spelled her hair into a nice, tight bun on the top of her head, tied up with a gold ribbon.

"I know, brilliant, right?" Gin asked, grinning from ear to ear, making her Cheshire Cat grin look even bigger than it already was.

Hermione shook her head. "I suppose." She glanced over at her friend. "So I see you finally read Alice in Wonderland?"

"Oh, I just loved it!" Ginny said. "Of course, I made Harry choose a character from the book too."

"Oh? Who is he going as?"

Just then, there was a knock on the door and Ginny and Hermione both yelled, "It's open!"

Harry walked in, looked at the pocket watch from his costume, and said, "We're going to be late."

Hermione stifled a giggled. Harry was dressed up as the White Rabbit, complete with bunny ears, suit, and pocket watch. "Late for an important date?" she asked through giggles.

"Ha ha, funny," he said, before looking at Ginny. "Can you do my nose?" he asked.

Ginny nodded, walking over with the make-up kit, coloring the tip of his nose pink with some lipstick and adding a few whiskers with black eyeliner. When she was done, she kissed his nose "There. Much better."

"Thanks. But seriously, we need to go," he said, indicating to the door.

"Ya ya. Don't get your tail in a knot," Ginny said and Hermione couldn't help but giggled again, causing Harry to roll his eyes comically as he left the room, his fluffy tail moving side to side as he walked out.

* * *

 _ **A/N: A bit of a filler chapter, but I just loved the Halloween and costume ideas lol Hope you all enjoyed it too! ~HufflepuffMommy**_


	15. Chapter 15

On the final day of Draco's house arrest, he woke up exceptionally early; too early, really. The appointed Auror wouldn't be at the manor to lift the charm off of him until 10 a.m., and he was currently staring at the clock, wide awake, at five in the morning.

He tried going back to sleep. When that wasn't working, he took long, hot shower, followed by a bath, just to pass the time.

Still having fours left, he went to the library to pick out a book to read and headed back to his room. He was about to turn the knob when he glanced over his shoulder at the nursery door. On a whim, he decided to go in, sit in the rocking chair, and read quietly by one of the windows.

That's where Narcissa found him an hour later. "There you are," she said with a soft smile. "I take it the rocking chair is comfortable?"

Draco nodded, closing the book and standing up. "Yes, very." He set the book on the seat of the chair. "Were you looking for me?"

"Yes, actually. I wanted to let you know that breakfast is almost ready," she said as she ran a hand across the crib railing, a happy smile upon her features.

"You know you could have sent a house elf to fetch me," he said with an amused smirk.

Narcissa reached into the crib, pulling out the old, stuffed dragon from within. "I know. But I was tired of sitting idly so I decided to find you myself." She sniffed the dragon absently before setting it back in the crib and looked over at her son. "Would you mind walking your old mother to the dining room?"

"You are hardly old," Draco said with an eye roll as he offered his elbow.

She linked her arm through her sons and chuckled. "Well, true, but seeing as I'm to be a grandmother soon, that does make it _sound_ like I'm old."

Draco just shook his head as they descended the stairs and went into the dining room, where a lavish breakfast was waiting for them.

"What's all this?" he asked with surprise. The table was covered in an array of food; waffles, bacon, eggs, toast, jams, grits, and fresh fruit.

"Well, I wanted to celebrate the fact that your house arrest ends today. I'm sure you'll be going out later, so I figured a celebratory breakfast would do."

Draco went over and pulled out the chair for his mother, then bent over and kissed her cheek one she had sat down. "Thank you," he said sincerely.

They tucked into breakfast while Draco talked about his upcoming plans with Blaise later that day.

When the clock finally struck ten, Draco was pacing the fireplace, awaiting the Auror with mild impatience.

He let out a sigh of relief when the floo chimed, signaling an upcoming visitor. He stepped back when the green flames appeared and was surprised when Harry Potter stepped out.

"Potter?" he said questioningly. "I wasn't expecting you. I figured Wilson was going to be here since he's the one who set the charm."

"Wilson is sick, so they sent me," Harry said with a shrug. "You ready to get this over with?" he asked with a small smile.

Draco actually smiled back. "Hell yeah."

Harry pointed his wand at the blond, did a few intricate movements with a wordless incantation. Draco felt a shiver go up his spine as the spell was lifted and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"That should do it," Harry said as he stowed away his wand back into its holster. "You're a free man."

Draco stuck out his hand. "Thank you, Potter. For, well, everything."

Harry shook Draco's hand without a moment's hesitation. "You're welcome, Malfoy."

"How's Granger?" Draco asked conversationally.

"She's good. Tired all the time, but good. We're making her rest as much as possible, which is driving her crazy."

Draco smirked. "I bet."

Harry walked over to the fireplace, but hesitated before he reached for the floo powder. "So, uh, I'm watching Teddy on Wednesday night."

Draco quirked a brow. "Ok?"

"I was wondering- if you wanted- you could come too, to get some experience with a baby… you know, before you become a father and all."

Draco's eyes widened slightly. "Oh. I appreciate the offer. I'll… think about it."

Harry nodded, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a slip of paper, handing it to the blond. "That's my address. If you decide to come by, anytime after three should do."

Draco took the parchment with a nod. "Thanks."

"Well, I better get back to the office. Congratulations again."

After Harry left, Draco finally looked down at the note in his hand and unfolded it.

 _12 Grimmauld Place_

Draco shuddered, remembering going to that house as a child, getting lectured about Blood Purity by dear old Great Aunt Walburga herself.

"Crazy old bat…" Draco muttered to himself. He was glad that at least she was gone now and he wouldn't have to see her again. He stuffed the note back into his pocket, then walked directly outside of his manor, and apparated with a _pop_ to Blaise's.

* * *

Hermione was bustling about her flat, making sure everything was in place. It was the first time the prenatal appoint was going to be there and she didn't want everyone to think she was a slob. Due to having to take it easy, she had been slacking on her chores and while she wasn't a messy person, the amount of clutter in random places was making her twitch.

Just as she put the kettle on the stove for tea, she heard the floo chime go off, indicating an arrival. She made her way to the living room just has her guest stepped out from her floo.

"Good morning, Draco," she said brightly.

Draco gave her a small smile and a nod. "Good morning as well."

"So how does it feel being a free man?" she asked.

"Liberating," he said honestly, which made Hermione chuckle.

"I bet," she said. "I was just putting the kettle on for tea before you arrived. Would you like any when it's ready? I have a whole bunch of different teas to choose from."

Draco gave a nod. "Sure, that would be nice, thanks."

"Well, I suppose I should give you a quick tour. The water won't be ready for a few more minutes and I don't expect Healer Clearwater to arrive for another ten." She nodded her head towards the hallway. "Follow me."

Draco took the few steps to cross the living room, following the slightly-waddling form of the woman carrying his child.

"On the right, we have the two bedrooms. The first one will be the baby's," she said as she opened the door.

Draco stepped in and a smile spread across his face. The paint color did indeed match the one at the manor. The crib, dresser with a changing table on top of it, and a rocking chair, all in matching white, were already set up.

"Cute," he said, walking in. He went over and peered inside the crib and chuckled when he pulled out a stuffed otter. "Yours?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yes. One of my favorites when I was a child. Otters also happen to be my Patronus. I figured since he'll have your old stuffed dragon at your place, that he can have my old stuffed otter here."

Draco put the otter back and noticed that the closet door was open with some clothes already hanging up.

"Been clothes shopping, I see," he said, as he pulled out a cute green and blue outfit.

"Ginny drags me out almost every weekend. I've gotten a lot of clothes and accessories already. Only need a few more things and I'll be all set."

Draco nodded absently, place the clothing article back in the closet. He turned around and glanced at the rocker, noting a small bin next to it. Glancing inside, he saw a few balls of yarn in various colors.

Hermione noticed what he was looking at and walked over, picking up the project she was working on. "I'm attempting to make a rug for the room, sort of like the one you have at the nursery in the manor. I haven't gotten very far yet, but I try to work on it a little bit each night."

"I like the colors," he said.

"I was going to do red and green, to represent our houses, but it seemed too Christmas-y, so I went with red, gold, green, and blue, for all the Hogwarts houses. Plus, they're primary colors, so it works out anyways." She set down the bin just as the kettle whistle started to sound.  
They both made their way out of the room as Hermione pointed to the two other doors. "The room next to the nursery is mine and the door across is the bathroom. That concludes the tour," she said, slightly chuckling as they entered the kitchen. "It's no manor, and quite small but, it's mine."

"Well, the manor is great and all, but sometimes it's a little _too_ big," Draco said with a shrug, leaning a hip against the counter as Hermione poured hot water into two mugs. "Your place seems… cozy."

Hermione smiled at him before pointing to a cabinet above his head. "Can you grab the tin that's in there? It's where the tea bags are."

Draco nodded, fetching the tin and opening it up. He rummaged through the selections before selecting an Earl Grey. He handed the tin to Hermione, who chose a tea at random, and the two of them set the bags into their mugs, letting them steep a bit.

"So did you do anything fun yesterday once the house arrest was lifted?" Hermione asked, grabbing some honey and sugar from another cabinet.

"I went to Blaise's and then we proceeded to go to a few pubs. Nothing too exciting," he said, reaching for the sugar and pouring a few spoonfuls into his mug.

"Sounds nice," Hermione said, picking up her tea and blowing on it slowly before taking a tentative sip. She wrinkled her nose and poured in some honey. "I was wondering-"

The floo-chime went off, interrupting her. "We'll talk after the appointment?" she asked.

Draco nodded and the pair of them walked into the living room as Healer Clearwater entered the living room.

Hermione made herself comfortable on the couch while she and Clearwater talked a bit about how she was feeling. Draco wandered around the living room, glancing at pictures she had displayed. There were many of her with Potter and Weasley and various members of the Weasley family. He did happen upon one of a man and woman and stopped to look at it more closely. The woman, he noted, looked very much like Hermione, though with more mature features and slightly more wrinkles around her mouth and eyes. The man next to her had Hermione's smile and nose.

"Those are my parents," Hermione called out, noting that Draco was staring at the picture.

Draco nodded. "You look like your mum."

She smiled. "I get that a lot. I also blame her and my father for my curly hair… it made mine double curly."

Draco chuckled as he walked over to the couch. "I just hope this one has tamer hair."

"You and me both," Hermione said, placing a hand on her swollen mound.

"Let's take some vitals and then we can take a peek at the little guy, ok?" the Healer said with a smile.

The pair nodded and Healer Clearwater waved her wand around Hermione.

"Oh…" Clearwater said with a frown. She waved her wand again.

"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"I just wanted to take your blood pressure again. It's reading very high. Have you been having any symptoms? Headaches? Dizziness? Your feet don't look swollen..."

Hermione shook her head. "No, I feel fine."

"Let's do the rest of the appointment and we'll go back to checking your vitals again afterward," Clearwater suggested.

Hermione nodded slowly, though she nibbled her lip in worry. Draco watched the two women with a slight frown, but didn't say anything.

Clearwater measured Hermione's stomach, checked her weight, and listened to the baby's heartbeat. "Everything seems great as far as the baby goes," she said, before waving her wand above Hermione's stomach and, an image of the baby appearing before them.

"He's gotten so big," Hermione said in awe. "I can't believe he's going to get even bigger."

"I hear that every time. It's crazy how much a woman's stomach stretches to accommodate a child," Clearwater said. She glanced over at Draco. "I've noticed you don't talk much during the appointments. Do you have any questions?" she asked him.

Draco pondered for a moment. "Can you tell us anything about his features? Like his hair type or color? What about his weight?"

Clearwater chuckled, as well as Hermione. "Unfortunately, no. What you see here is all I see as well. His hair is darker and matted down because he's encased in amniotic fluid. Once he's out, cleaned up, and dried, you will know those answers. As for the weight, I can give a guesstimate, but it could be off by two pounds in either direction."

"What would be your guess?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Hm, well, he's about two and a half pounds right now. I'd say at birth, he'll be between six and seven pounds, give or take."

"That doesn't sound _too_ bad," Hermione said with a nervous laugh.

Clearwater waved her wand, the image of the baby disappearing. "Ok, let's check your blood pressure one more time."

Hermione nodded, taking a calming breath before Healer Clearwater cast her spell.

"It's still rather high. A bit too high, really, for my liking. I'm going to ask you to take the week off and just relax. I will come by on Monday just to take your blood pressure. If it's still high, I'm going to be putting you on bedrest for the remainder of your pregnancy."

Hermione groaned, but nodded. "Ok. I'll owl my supervisor and Kingsley after the appointment. Maybe they can send me my work."

"As long as you're resting as much as possible, I don't care what you do." Healer Clearwater stood up and looked at her watch. "I've got to get going. I'll see you in a week, Hermione."

Hermione nodded, watching her Healer go over to the floo and disappear within it a moment later.

Hermione sighed, leaning her head against the couch cushions. "Ugh," she said.

Draco sat down next to her and nodded. "Yes, I agree." He glanced over at her. "Can I do anything to help?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, thank you though. I'm just going to send a few owls and then I'll be sitting here the next few days I suppose."

Draco nodded, standing up. "If you want, we can have dinner here tonight, instead of at the manor."

"Oh… I didn't even think about that. That can work, but I don't have anything to make…"

Draco shook his head. "I'll take care of the food. You just rest and I'll be by around by six."

Hermione nodded with a soft smile. "Thank you. See you tonight."

"Oh, what was it you wanted to ask me earlier?" he asked he walked towards the fireplace.

She waved him off. "We can talk about it tonight."

"Alright, well, if you need anything-"

"I'll be sure to floo-call. Don't worry," she said, shaking her head in amusement.

She watched as Draco hesitantly walked into the floo, and with last one look at her, frown lines upon his features, he disappeared back to the manor.

Hermione sighed again before hoisting herself up, finding some parchment, and writing letters she really didn't want to write.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Huge thanks for all the wonderful reviews I've** **received** **so far. They truly mean a lot to me! Also, another shout out to my** **BFF Hufflepuff** **twin, SweetLittleBullet! ~Hufflepuffmommy**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N: I love how you are all interested in what Hermione wanted to ask him. Well, she finally does in this chapter.**_  
 _ **Also, I wanted to give a heads up: My family and I are going to be traveling and visiting family starting tomorrow (10th) until around the 26th. I will have my laptop with me but I make no promises on updating while out. So, this chapter is nice and long, over 3k where it's normally just over 2k words.** **Hopefully** **, it holds you over! I will TRY to write and update though!**_

* * *

Armed with a basket filled with food, Draco entered Hermione's flat a few minutes before the designated time. He found her where he left her, on the couch, with her knitting project on her lap.

"Whatever that is, it smells delicious," she said, setting aside the yarn and standing up.

Draco chuckled. "Shepherd's pie, along with some soup, salad, and a pumpkin pie for dessert."

Hermione groaned happily. "That sounds amazing. _Way_ too much food, but amazing nonetheless."

Draco walked towards the kitchen with the basket, Hermione close behind. "I told Mother about the appointment and she wanted to make sure you had enough food for a few days. I'm pretty sure she also snuck in some other things as well when I wasn't looking."

"That was very kind of her," Hermione said with a smile. She went over to a cabinet to grab some plates, then turned to Draco, frowning. "You know, I didn't even think to tell you to invite her as well. I hope she wasn't offended."

Draco took the plates from Hermione. "Sit. I got this." Hermione sighed exaggeratedly, but went and sat down at the small dining table. He opened a few drawers until he found the silverware. "Don't worry about Mother. She had other plans tonight anyways. I will pass along the message for future appointments though.

"Thank you," Hermione said as she took out her wand and used it to _accio_ a few glasses and pitchers of water and juice from the fridge while Draco set about plating their meal. He levitated the food to the table and the two of them tucked into their dinner.

"So what was it that you were going to ask me earlier?" he asked as he took a bite of food. At her frown, he continued. "Right before the appointment you were going to ask me something, but we got interrupted. Then after the appointment, you said that we'd talk about it later. Well, it's later."

"Oh, that's right," Hermione said. "Sorry, I guess it's true what they say about pregnancy brain. Anyways, I had been wondering; When it's time for me to have the baby, where do you want to be?"

Confusion etched upon the man's features. "Where do I want to be?"

Hermione nodded.

"I'm afraid I need more explanation," he said.

"What I mean is; do you want to be at the hospital at all? I'll definitely let you know when I go into labor and again when he's born… or you can wait in the waiting room, though who knows how long that will take. Of course, there's always the option of being in the room with me, but I wasn't sure how comfortable you were with that."

"Oh," Draco said, fidgeting slightly. "I've been thinking about that as well, and honestly, I'm not really sure. I definitely want to be there, at the hospital, but whether it's in the waiting room or birthing room will probably be decided at the time." He stirred around his food on his plate a bit, looking down. "I don't do well with blood, not since the war, and especially not since… that day." Hermione nodded, knowing exactly what day he was referring to. "Plus, I wasn't sure how comfortable _you_ would be with me being there and you being so… exposed."

"I think I'll be ok with that, at least that's what I keep telling myself now; I don't know how I'll be when the time comes honestly." She bit her lip nervously. "Ginny will be there, as she volunteered to be my coach and support system throughout the whole thing. She has a better tolerance for that kind of stuff than Harry, or even Ron."

Draco nodded absently. "I suppose the war affected a lot of people when it comes to that sort of stuff."

They sat and ate in silence for a while, the only sound was of their silverware scraping against their plates.

"If all goes well next week," Draco said suddenly, causing Hermione to jump slightly. "We really need to make plans to go to Australia before it gets too late."

"I've been looking into that. It's not advisable to travel after 35 weeks, in either magical or muggle ways, so, yes, I agree."

"Can you tell me about them? Of your parents?" he asked, finishing off the last of his meal.

Hermione nodded and smiled before launching into stories of her parents while Draco cleared their dinner plates then set about dishing out dessert. They talked for another hour or so, before Hermione started yawning in the back of her hand and Draco started to put all the extra food into her refrigerator before declaring that he should be going.

"Do you have any fun plans for the rest of the week?" Hermione asked as she walked out to the living room with him towards the fireplace.

"Actually, yes. Potter invited me to come by and help him out while he watches Teddy tomorrow evening. Said something about getting some hands-on practice."

Hermione's eyes widened slightly before chuckling. "I suppose he does have a point. Don't be surprised when he gives you the job of dirty nappies though; it's what he always does to me when I'm there."

Draco wrinkled his nose. "I suppose one or two nappy changes would be beneficial, but I'll make sure he gets his fair share as well."

"Give Teddy a hug from me," she said through another yawn.

"I will, only if you promise to go to bed as soon as I leave," he said seriously.

Hermione huffed. "Fine. Now get, so I can sleep."

Draco gave her a small smile. "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Draco."

* * *

Draco apparated right on the steps of 12 Grimmauld Place a little past six the following day. He knocked, unsure if he should walk right in or not since the house was no longer owned by his Great Aunt. As soon as he finished knocking, he heard yelling from within; a great bellowing sound that was currently spewing all kinds of hate towards muggleborns and muggle-lovers.

Draco cocked a brow at the door as he heard Potter shout something followed by silence. His facial expressions didn't change as Harry opened the door, a look of irritation upon his face. "I forgot to tell you to just come in and not bother knocking. Sorry, should be fine now. Come on in," he said, walking down the hall.

Draco followed close by, closing the door. "What exactly was that?"

Harry sighed. "Sirius's mother."

Draco blinked. "I thought she died when I was five…"

"Oh, she's dead, but her portrait lives on," he said, glowering towards a set of large curtains that were on the wall.

Draco reached out but Harry blocked him within seconds. "I wouldn't if I were you. She's right mean and nasty to anyone here."

Draco smirked. "Ah, yes, I remember. But, she always did love me. Maybe I can talk to her?"

Harry looked between Draco and the curtain that was currently hiding the portrait and gave him a skeptical look. "Trust me, Potter," Draco said, pulling his wand out of his cloak.

"If you're going to try to take it down, don't bother. No one has been able to do it. So we just put a sticking charm on the curtain and cross our fingers she doesn't go off anytime soon."

Draco shook his head. "Go wait in the other room where she can't see you," he said. "And make sure wherever the sprog is at, that he can't hear anything."

"He's napping. I put a silencing charm in the room so he can't hear anything, but I can hear him if he wakes up."

Draco nodded and readied his wand, pointing at the curtain. Harry stepped out of view and Draco flicked it, opening the curtains.

"VIAL MUGGLE LOVING BEINGS LIVING IN **MY** HOUSE! WHY IF I WERE ALIVE I WOULD-"

"Hello Great Aunt Walburga," Draco said calmly.

The lady in the portrait stopped bellowing and turned her beefy head towards Draco. "Draco?" she said in disbelief. "Is that really you? My, have you grown! And you look just like your father!" she exclaimed happily.

"Yes, it's me," Draco replied.

"Are you here to take back the House of Black? It's being overrun by filthy muggle-loving-"

"No, actually. I came by to visit."

His great aunt glowered at him. "Not you…. Not my dear, sweet Draco… What would your father say?"

Draco shrugged, pointing his wand at the portrait. "Don't really care, seeing as how he's rotting in Azkaban right now. Thanks to Potter here, I'm not. So, I kind of owe him a favor. Sorry, Aunt Walburga."

Before the old woman could say, or rather, shout, anything, he silenced her.

Harry walked over to Draco, his mouth open in shock. "How did you do that? None of our spells work on the actual portrait," he said, watching the figure within the painting scream and shout, but not hearing a sound.

Draco shrugged and flicked his wand again. The portrait unstuck itself from the wall; tiny bits of wallpaper and plaster stuck all around it as it had been stuck for years of in the same spot.

Again, Harry's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened as Draco effectively shrunk the painting to the size of a stamp and levitated it between them. "May I?" he asked Harry.

Harry could only nod as Draco flicked once more, disintegrating the small portrait to nothing but ashes.

"How? What? We've been trying to get rid of her for years and you just walk in, flick your wand three times, and she's gone?" Harry asked, baffled.

"Would you like for me to undo it?" Draco asked, raising a brow,

"Hell no! I'm just wondering why you were able to and no one else," Harry said, finally leading them both out of the hallway.

"Probably something to do with pureblood magic," Draco said with a shrug.

"If that were the case, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would have been able to do it. As well as Sirius," Harry said, sitting down in an arm chair.

Draco made himself comfortable on the couch. "Yes, but the Weasley's have been branded as blood traitors for centuries and Sirius was burned off the tapestry. I'm still on there."

Harry pondered that. "I suppose that makes sense. In any case, I greatly appreciate it. Living with that thing was unbearable. Now I don't have to go sneaking into my own house anymore."

"Why do you live here anyway? It's rather big for just you. Or does Weaslette live here too?"

Harry shook his head. "No, Ginny still lives at the Burrow, but she's here almost every other night so she might as well be. I think she's waiting until we're married, or at least engaged."

Draco opened his mouth to say something when a wail was heard from up above.

"Looks like Teddy's awake. I'll go get him and bring him down," Harry said, getting up from his chair and heading towards the stairs.

Draco remained seated, looking at the room around him. He could tell that Potter had changed a lot in the house already from when he was a child, and it was definitely cleaner. He wondered if Kreacher…

"Would Mister Draco like a refreshment?" asked the old and gnarled elf that appeared next to him.

Draco flinched slightly at the suddenness of the elf that was on his mind. He glowered slightly as he turned towards the elf. "A water, please," he asked. The elf bowed and disappeared with a _pop_. A second later, a glass of water appeared on the coffee table in front of him. He took a sip as Harry came down the steps, carrying a baby who was about 7 months old, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Draco, this is Teddy," he said, bouncing the baby lightly on his hip, making him giggle. "Teddy, this is Draco." He pointed towards Draco and the baby moved his head until his eyes landed on Draco. The baby shied away into Harry's shirt. "He's a little shy sometimes, especially with new people," Harry explained. He sat down on the couch next to Draco and turned Teddy towards the strange man next to them.

"Hey there Ted. Mind if I call you Ted?" Draco said, poking a finger into the child's side, making him giggle and look over at him. He stuck a thumb in his mouth and stared at Draco.

All of a sudden, his mousy brown hair turned into platinum blond.

Draco's face must have shown some sort of shock, because Harry was laughing next to him right after. "He does that. He's a Metamorphmagus like his mum, Tonks. It means he likes you."

"Yes, Granger mentioned she was. I wasn't aware that her child was too," Draco said. All of a sudden, Teddy threw himself at Draco, who caught him and stood him up on the tops of his legs, the baby jumping up and down with glee.

"I'm going to get his dinner ready. Have you eaten?" Harry asked, getting up.

"Yes," Draco said, holding onto the wiggly child as Harry left to go into another room. The baby, who was happily bouncing, noticed that Harry was gone and started wailing, his hair instantly changing back to its normal color.

"Uh, Potter?" Draco called out.

"Just bring him in here," Harry said.

Draco hoisted up on the squealing child and carried him, somewhat awkwardly, into the kitchen. Once Teddy saw Harry, he immediately calmed down and put his arms out towards him.

"Hang on bud," Harry said. "Your dinner's almost done. Malfoy, can you set him in the highchair there?" Harry asked, indicating to the baby seat at the table.

Draco nodded, walking over and tried to put a wiggly baby into the seat, but he kept stiffening his legs and wouldn't sit.

"Is there a trick to this?" Draco asked, getting irritated.

Harry glanced over, shaking his head. "He does that sometimes. There are teething biscuits on the table, hand him one and he'll be too busy gnawing on that to fight you about sitting."

Draco did as suggested and found that sitting the child was much easier. "I never realized how strong babies can be."

"He's a brute when he wants to be," Harry said, chuckling. "He's very attached to certain people, mostly me and Andromeda. So when I left the room, I was hoping he'd be ok and be distracted by you. Apparently, I was wrong."

Harry sat down in a chair and scooted it towards the high chair. He had a bowl full of mushy orange stuff and Draco wrinkled his nose. "What is _that_?" he asked.

"Carrots and sweet potatoes. Andromeda makes all her own baby food. I just heat it up and try to get most of it in his mouth."

"Is it really that hard to feed a child?" Draco asked, raising a brow.

Harry just looked at him, then stood up and motioned to the chair. "Here, give it a try," he said with a smirk.

Draco rolled his eyes, sitting down in the now vacated chair. He pulled the bowl next to him and used the small spoon next to it to scoop up some of its contents.

"Alright, Ted. Ready to eat?" Draco asked, holding up the spoon, gaining the baby's attention.

Teddy immediately dropped the soggy biscuit and started hitting the top of the high chair in excitement.

"Alright alright, don't get your nappies all twisted up," Draco said, bringing the spoon towards Teddy. Teddy, however, was still slamming his hands onto his chair and hit the spoon in Draco's hand, causing the orange goo to go everywhere, including Draco's shirt.

Draco glared at Teddy, who was currently spreading some of the dropped baby food all over his tray. "Let's try this again," Draco said. He didn't dare look at Potter, who he knew was smirking his irritating smirk.

Draco tried again, this time avoiding flying hands and was momentarily elated when the spoon was right by Teddy's mouth, until Teddy expertly grabbed the spoon, pulling it from Draco's grasp, and banging it against the tray, spraying food everywhere once more.

"Salazar's arse," Draco mumbled. He struggled to get the sticky spoon out of Teddy's grip but was finally successful. Harry had taken to leaning against the counter, watching from a distance. He knew not to try and help Malfoy just yet.

Draco tried, again and again, to feed Teddy, finally making success on the fifth attempt, only for the baby to spit out almost half of the food. "Is he broken or something?" Draco asked irritatedly.

Harry barked out a laughter then covered it up quickly. He walked over, shaking his head. "That's just how babies are. The trick is to hold his hands down so they don't go flying or grabbing at the spoon. Here, let me show you."

Draco gladly removed himself from the chair, letting Potter take his spot. Using his wand to clean up his shirt, he watched as Harry expertly fed Teddy a few spoonfuls of food.

"You've had more practice," Draco pointed out as Harry gave him a triumphant look.

"Yes, you're right. And you'll get better with time, too. Plus, you still have _months_ before your baby is eating like this."

"Thank Merlin for that," Draco said.

Harry got up, handing Draco the spoon again. "Give it another go," he encouraged.

It took many attempts, and a lot of patience from Draco, but in the end, he finally fed the rest of the orange mush to Teddy.

Harry cleaned up the child while Draco cleaned up the table, high chair, floor, and himself. When they were done he turned to Harry. "Now what?"

"Well, usually we go in the living room and play with toys while he crawls around. Then around 8, he gets a bath, then a b-o-t-t-l-e, then bed."

"Why did you spell out bott-'

"Sh!" said Harry, instinctively moving Teddy away from the offending word. "He knows what it means and trust me, it'll be hell until he gets it," he said in a harsh whisper.

Draco held up his hands in defeat and followed Harry and Teddy into the living room, wondering what else he would be learning about babies that evening.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I loved writing it! Special thanks to SweetLittleBullet! ~HufflepuffMommy**_


	17. Chapter 17

Draco found himself on the floor with Teddy, hovering some dragon figurines in the air and making them fight, causing Teddy to laugh until he fell over. He found he quite liked this baby stage, as almost everything made the little bugger laugh with glee.

As the hour wound down, Teddy was happily playing with some blocks while Draco was still sitting on the floor, watching him with a small smile, imagining his own son playing like that one day. Harry had disappeared upstairs about ten minutes previous.

Teddy crawled over to Draco, trying to pick at the buttons of his shirt, causing Draco to chuckle. Suddenly, a foul stench made the blond man gag out loud. "Uh, Potter. I think the tyke needs a nappy change," he called out.

"Just in time," he heard the other bloke call back. "Bring him upstairs. It's time for his bath."

Draco wrinkled his nose as he picked up the baby, holding him out at arm's length. He carried him like that all the way up the stairs until he found the washroom that Harry was in, turning off the tap of the bathtub.

"Lay him on the towel on the floor there and we'll change his nappy first," Harry instructed.

Draco laid Teddy down, who immediately rolled over and crawled over to the bathtub.

Harry picked him up. "Sorry bud, nappy first, then bath," he said. He laid Teddy down, grabbing a toy rubber hippogriff for the baby to play with as he started to undress the child.

"The trick with Teddy is to make sure to have something to distract him so he stays still. There have been a few times where I don't have anything nearby so I give him my glasses, then I have to _reparo_ them later," Harry said, chuckling.

Draco nodded, watching as Harry undid the nappy clasps on the side and opened it up. Both men groaned from the smell.

"How can something so small produce something so… _foul_ ," Draco said, covering his nose with his hand.

"You'd be surprised," Harry said, grabbing some wipes. He looked over his shoulder at Draco. "Want to give it a shot."

"Hell. No." Draco said firmly, crossing his arms as he took a step back.

"I figured as much," Harry said with a laugh as he looked back at Teddy and started cleaning him up. "After his bath, I'll let you put the new nappy on him. We'll have you try cleaning him the next time."

"If there's a promise of a shitty nappy that I have to clean, there won't _be_ a next time," Draco nearly sneered.

"You'll have to do it eventually," Harry said, lifting Teddy up and placing him in the water. It was only filled a few inches and Teddy immediately started splashing the top of it with his hands. "If not with Teddy, then with your own kid."

The blond grumbled, knowing Potter had a point. _That git._

Draco leaned against the wall as Harry bathed Teddy while he was crawling all around the tub, trying to grab floating toys. "It was easier when he just laid there," Harry said as he got splashed, his glasses now riddled with water droplets. He pulled the plug and cleaned his glasses off while Teddy continued to crawl around. When the water was gone, Harry grabbed one of the baby towels that was hanging by the tub and wrapped Teddy up. "Alright, bud. Jam-jams and bed ok?"

Teddy just gurgled, stuffing fingers in his mouth as a response. Harry glanced over at Draco. "He's clean now. Want to take him?"

Before Draco could respond, Harry handed the baby over to him. Teddy looked up at Draco, taking his fingers from his mouth and stuffing them into Draco's. Draco made a face and removed the chubby fingers. "That was bad form. We don't stick slobbery fingers in other people's mouths," he told Teddy as he followed Harry to a room down the hall.

Between the two of them, they got Teddy into a clean diaper and pajamas.

"If you read him a book, I'll go downstairs and get his you-know-what," Harry said.

Draco nodded, grabbing a book at random, and placing the baby on his lap. The book was about an ugly duckling who turned into a beautiful swan at the end. _Kind of like Granger_ , Draco thought to himself, then frowned, wondering where the hell _that_ came from.

Teddy was trying to gnaw on the book as Harry walked in, bottle in hand. Teddy's eyes widened and he dropped the book, quickly crawling over to Harry saying "ba-ba-ba-ba-ba" over and over.

Harry picked him up and Teddy grabbed the bottle, placing it in his mouth. He laid him down in his cot and covered him up with a blanket. "Night, Teddy. Sweet dreams," he mumbled.

Draco and Harry quietly left the room, turning off the light.

"That's it?" Draco asked.

Harry shrugged, walking towards the stairs. "Mostly. He used to be rocked to sleep, but Andromeda wants him to go to sleep on his own, so that's what we do now. I'll go in a little bit and get the bottle from his cot later."

Draco nodded, following Harry down the stairs.

"Want a butterbeer?" Harry asked over his shoulder.

Draco glanced at his watch. "I should probably head out."

Harry shrugged, opening the fridge, taking out one for himself. He popped the top and took a pull from the bottle before glancing at Draco. "You did better than I thought you would. With Teddy, I mean."

Draco shifted on his feet and ran a hand through his hair. "Kids are easier, sometimes. They don't judge you on your past."

Harry nodded knowingly. "Isn't that the truth?" He sighed, running a hand through his own hair. "Teddy's one of the reasons why I'm still here. I had thought about traveling; just getting out of London for a while; maybe go to the States or some other country But, I didn't want to abandon him, I want him to always know I'm here for him, even if he isn't old to understand."

"That's admirable, Potter, truly," Draco said without a hint of sarcasm. He walked over to the fridge, opening it up and getting a butterbeer for himself. "I guess I was lucky," Draco said as he sat down at the kitchen table, followed soon by Harry. "I never felt… abandoned, or been abandoned. Even though my father wasn't… the best. He never made me feel unwanted. Now that I'm older I can see where a lot of the stuff he did was…" he pondered the word he was looking for until he settled on, "un-moral. And trust me, it's been a big, fucking roller coaster to try and unlearn everything I was raised to believe."

They sat in the old kitchen of Grimmauld place- the two men from opposing Hogwarts houses and rivals from the age of 11- drinking butterbeer and talking about whatever came to mind. Draco realized, as he left much later than he planned, that Potter was a decent bloke, and wondered how Hogwarts life would have been if things had been different back in school; if he had realized sooner that everything he was taught growing up was complete and utter horse-shite.

* * *

Hermione walked nervously into the room at St. Mungo's. She hadn't stepped foot in the building since becoming pregnant, but this was the location of where the parenting classes were taking place, so she had no choice. There were no seats, but a handful of tables were spread around the room, each with a baby doll and baby accessories. She went to the nearest one and smiled as she picked up the doll.

"Good evening everyone," the witch at the front said cheerfully. "If everyone would please pick a table with your partner, we'll begin momentarily. Hello newcomers! Come in, come in, we're just about to start."

Hermione glanced towards the door and her mouth dropped open slightly at who was standing in the entrance.

"Draco?" she said as he met her eyes and walked over. "I didn't know you were coming to this."

"Same with you, though I guess I should have known. Any excuse to learn, right?" he said, a slight teasing tone in his voice.

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Yes. Healer Clearwater sent me the flyer for the class."

Draco nodded. "Same here, though I didn't actually see it until yesterday." He looked down at her protruding belly. "How's the little guy doing? And aren't you supposed to be home, resting?" he asked with a quirked brow.

"Don't worry, I cleared it with the Healer that I can still attend. And he's doing well," she said with a soft smile as she glanced down. "Kicking up a storm, mostly at night. How did babysitting with Teddy go yesterday?" she asked.

"It went rather well. Got a few lessons in feeding, bathing, and dressing a squirmy little bugger," he said with a smirk and Hermione laughed quietly into her hand. "But all in all, it was, dare I say, fun?"

"Good to hear," she said just as the teacher brought their attention back to the front, officially beginning the class.

* * *

The two of than decided to hit up a small restaurant a block away from St. Mungo's after the parenting class. Hermione seemed a bit stressed since leaving and Draco decided to order some some crisps and ice cream, hoping it would cheer her up. Hermione picked at her food, nibbling her lip in worry, barely eating anything. Draco watched her and chuckled.

"Granger, relax. Everything will be fine," he said idely.

"Relax? _Relax_?! I have so much to do; so much to remember! Remember the different nursing positions or how to make bottles without bubbles so they don't get gassy, the different burping positions, caring for the umbilical cord after birth, bathing, swaddling-"

"Hermione, stop," Draco said, reaching over and grabbing her hand. He squeezed it and she looked at him, her eyes watery. "It'll be ok," he said reassuringly and with a final squeeze, he let go. "If anyone can do this, you can. Smartest witch, remember?"

Hermione shook her head, wiping away a stray tear. "What if I'm not cut out for being a mother? What if I… what if this is the one of the things I fail at?"

"Hermione Granger? Fail?" he said, disbelieving. "What have you _actually_ failed at?"

"Well, I'm rubbish at flying a broom, but that's mostly due to my fear of heights," she said, sniffling. She picked up a crisp and nibbled on it. "And there was this one time, when I was seven, I had trouble with an algebra problem that I just couldn't figure out…."

Draco raised an impressed brow. "You were doing algebra at seven? What kind of muggle school did you go to?"

"Oh, that wasn't with my school, that was something I did on my own," she said with a casual shrug.

Draco just stared at her then laughed lightly. "You really are something else, you know that?"

Hermione blushed, picking up her spoon digging into her ice cream, but after a couple of bites, she had to set the spoon down and push the bowl away. "I'm done. I can't eat another bite."

Draco looked at her barely half-eaten bowl of ice cream. "Are you feeling alright?"

She shook her head. "No, actually, I'm feeling a bit nauseous. It's fairly common in the third trimester, actually."

"Do you want to go home?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I think I will. Thank you for this," she said, indicating to the crisps and ice cream. She stood up and took a wobbly step before Draco was out of his seat and catching her.

"I'm taking you home myself," he said.

"Draco, there's no need-"

"-For you to argue, because I'm doing it," he said, as he placed her coat over her shoulders and walked with her out of the door. They made their way to a deserted alleyway and he apparated them straight to her flat.

As soon as their feet landed, Hermione's face paled and she ran to the bathroom to retch. She felt a pair of hands pull her hair back, and she looked up at Draco, her eyes watery from vomiting. "Thank you," she said as she got up and cleaned her face and rinsed out her mouth.

He looked at her with a worried expression. "Are you ok? Do we need to contact Healer Clearwater?"

"No, it's fine. I'm feeling better," she said. "Thank you for escorting me home. I think I'm just going to tuck in for the night."

Draco nodded. "I think that's best. You still look a bit pale. I'm going to stay for a bit and-"

"Oh, you don't need to do that," she said, but he shook his head.

"I'm staying," he said firmly. "I'll just read one of the millions of books you have and check in on you from time to time. I promise to go home in a few hours if you're still sleeping and haven't gotten sick again."

Hermione nibbled her lip. "Well, alright. You're free to read any book I have and I have some drinks and snacks in the kitchen if you get hungry. Oh, I should probably show you how to work the telly…"

"Granger. Go to bed," he said.

* * *

And hour later, the flat was quiet except for the sound of Draco turning pages from a book he found in a box. He had checked on Hermione a few times and even though she was asleep, she seemed to be tossing and turning a lot and sweating. He put a cooling charm in her room and went back to read, going back and checking to make sure she wasn't getting too cold.

When the floo went off and green flames flared, he jumped off of the couch, his wand pointing to the fireplace.

Ron stepped through, a confused frown etched on his features. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?" he asked.

"Granger was feeling ill after parenting class tonight. I'm staying to make sure she's ok," Draco said, lowering his wand. "What are _you_ doing here, Weasley? Last I remembered, you two weren't together, so why come by so late?"

"Not that it's any of your business," Ron sneered, "But I have some papers from Kingsley that he wanted me to _hand-deliver_ to Hermione. I just got off of work otherwise I would have been here earlier. So if you will excuse me, I need to give these to her."

Ron started to walk towards the hallway when Draco stopped him, standing firm, his arms crossed over his chest. "She needs _rest_. Just leave them here and she'll get them when she wakes up."

" _Please_ , like you actually care about her. You just don't want anything happening to your precious _heir_ ," Ron said with disgust.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I don't want anything to happen to _either_ of them. Now, before you wake Hermione with your very _loud_ voice, please leave. Put a charm on them or something so no one else can open them besides her."

"Kingsley already did that," Ron said, walking towards the kitchen and setting the parchment on the table where Hermione usually sits. He turned around and Draco was right behind him. "How long are you staying here anyways? Don't you have a manor to go to, _ferret_?"

"I'm staying until I know Hermione is ok. Is that alright with you, _Weasel_?" Draco shot back.

"Whatever. I'll just floo call her tomorrow to make sure she gets those," Ron said, motioning towards the papers.

Draco watched as Ron went over to the floo and disappeared without a second glance. "Prat," he mumbled. He walked down the hall, listening to see if Hermione was awake. When he didn't hear anything, he opened her bedroom door softly and peered in. She was still sleeping, though she looked unwell. Her face was still slightly pale and her hair was stuck to her face and neck due to all the sweat she was pouring out. He frowned, wondering if he should call the Healer or let her sleep. He decided on sleep, at least for now. He went back to the living room and sat on the couch, picking up the book once again and reading until well into the night.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I snuck on to post up a chapter for you lovely readers! Hope you enjoyed it 3 ~HufflepuffMommy**_


	18. Chapter 18

Draco woke with a crick in his neck. He hissed as he sat up, stretching his sore muscles from a night of sleeping on the couch. He hadn't meant to sleep there; on the contrary, he was planning on going home, but sleep overcame him and before he knew it, the sun was shining through the window.

He got up and stretched some more, hearing a few cracks of his ligaments as he did so, and feeling much better afterward. He breathed in deeply and smelled…. pancakes?

"Oh good, you're awake," Hermione said with a smile at the entryway to the kitchen. "I've made breakfast. Come on."

"How are you feeling?" he asked as soon as he entered the kitchen.

She turned to smile at him. "Much better, thank you. I told you it was nothing to worry about."

Draco frowned. "I checked in on you until well past midnight last night. You were sleeping fitfully and sweating like crazy. I don't quite think that's _fine_."

"It must have been a bug or something," she said dismissively as she handed him a plate of pancakes. "Eat. Before they get cold."

Draco glanced down at the pancakes. Blueberry, his favorite.

He sighed, going over to the table to sit down. He noticed that the rolled up parchment was now unrolled and pushed to the side by Hermione's chair. "I see you got the documents that Weasley dropped off."

Hermione sat down, her own plate of food sitting in front of her. "I did. When did he stop by?"

"Around ten. He was going to wake you up but I wouldn't let him," Draco said, cutting into his pancakes.

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Ron has no tact. I wouldn't have cared if he did wake me though."

Draco shook his head. "Trust me, you needed your rest."

Hermione stuck her tongue out at him and he cracked a smile as they continued eating.

"I was surprised to see you here this morning," she finally said after a few minutes of silence.

"I didn't mean to stay the whole night. I must have fallen asleep while reading," he said with a shrug.

They finished their pancakes and as Hermione stood up, she had to steady herself on the table.

"Are you ok?" Draco asked, walking over to her.

She tried to wave him off but had to sit down. "Yes, just a little dizzy is all."

"I'm getting Healer Clearwater," he said, turning to leave.

She was about to argue, but couldn't open her mouth without feeling like vomiting. So she sat there as Draco used her floo. She was still there, her head resting on her arms that were on the table when Draco walked back in, Healer Clearwater close behind.

"Draco, help me get her to her bed," the Healer instructed.

Draco nodded and instead of helping Hermione stand up, he simply scooped her up in his arms, carrying her out of the kitchen.

Once she was situated on her bed, Clearwater ran her diagnostic. "Your blood pressure is really high, Hermione. It's not quite an emergency situation yet, but, I'm afraid it might get there without putting you on complete bed rest." She pulled some vials from her bag she had with her. "You'll also need to take these blood pressure potions daily from here on out until the baby comes."

Hermione nodded weakly. "Ok."

"It might also be best if you stayed with someone, or someone stayed here with you. For safety reasons," Healer Clearwater suggested.

Hermione bit her lip. "Ok. I'll… I'll figure something out."

Draco walked the Healer back to the floo and when he returned, Hermione was staring straight ahead, at nothing in particular.

Unsure of what to say, he stood at the end of the bed, shifting his feet slightly. "Hermi-"

"I'll have to see if I can stay at Harry's…" she said quietly, and Draco wasn't sure if she was talking to him, or herself.

"Potter works all day," he said. She glanced up at him and frowned.

"You're right. I guess I could always stay at the Weasley's, but, it's just always so crowded there. And while I love Molly, sometimes she can be a bit… overbearing."

"You do have a few other options," Draco said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Hermione turned to him and blinked a few times. Realization dawned and she bit her lip. "I'm… I'm not sure I can stay at the manor. I know you have the room all set up for me, but, I just-"

"Granger, it's fine. You don't have to explain," Draco said calmly.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you."

"There _is_ one other option…" Draco said hesitantly. "I can stay here. For the time being. And if I can't be here, I can have a house elf tend to you if, and only if, you need anything."

Hermione's eyes widened. "But… I mean…I can't ask you to do that."

"You didn't," he said simply. "I offered."

"But... are you sure?" she asked. "I don't even have another bedroom for you to use."

"Magic, remember?" he said with a smirk as he twiddled his wand in front of her. "I can transform the couch into a bed at night."

She stared at him, her brown eyes flicking between his steel grey ones. "Are you sure? I mean, I can get someone else-"

"Let me just go to the manor and grab a few things. I'll also need to let Mother know where I'll be, not to mention where I've _been_."

"Oh Merlin, I didn't even think of that," Hermione said, stifling a laugh. Then she shooed him off. "Go. Go home and talk with your mother. I'll be here."

"Ok, if you need anything-"

"I'll floo-call or send a Patronus if it's an emergency. Though to be honest, I might just take a little kip. That blood pressure potion is making me a little sleepy."

Draco nodded, reassuring her that he would be back as soon as he could, and left to go gather things for a ten-week stay at Hermione Granger's.

* * *

Draco floo'd directly into his room, waving his wand as a luggage case came zooming out of his closet, along with clothes that folded themselves before being stored away inside.

"Millie!" he called, and the little house elf popped into the room.

"Yous called me, Master Draco?" the house elf asked.

"Yes. Can you tell me where my Mother is?"

"She is in the garden. Shall I get her for you?"

Draco shook his head. "No, that's ok. Thank you, Millie."

Draco checked the luggage to make sure the clothes he needed were packed then went into the bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, and shower things, casting a quick drying spell on the latter, before placing them in his suitcase as well. When he was all done, he apparated outside to the gardens to find his mother.

Even though it was the beginning of November, his mother had charmed part of the garden area to maintain a comfortable temperature. Gardening helped her keep busy, and she decided she wasn't going to let a silly thing like winter to stop her doing what she loved.

"Mother," Draco said, walking over to her.

She glanced up at him and smiled. "Good morning Draco. Sleep well?"

Draco quirked a brow. "Did you even notice I wasn't home last night?"

"Oh, I knew," she said with a smirk as she turned her attention back to her gardening. "Who's the lucky witch?"

Draco groaned. "Mother, it was nothing like that. I was at Granger's."

Narcissa's hands stilled as she looked up at her son. "Miss Granger? I knew you two were becoming friends but I hadn't realized-"

"Nothing. Happened," Draco ground out. "You know that parenting class I told you I was going to? Well, Hermione was there too. We took the class then got a bite to eat. She wasn't feeling well and I escorted her home where she proceeded to get sick. I stayed the night, _on the couch_ ,-" he emphasized, "-and checked in on her from time to time. I floo-called Healer Clearwater this morning and she came over straight away. She said that Granger's blood pressure was extremely high and is now on bedrest."

"Oh, that poor dear. She's welcome to stay here if she would like," his mother suggested.

"I already offered that and she politely declined," he said.

Narcissa sat back a little on her haunches. "Why though? She comes here every week for dinners and has had her appointments here. Why can't she stay a few weeks?"

Draco shrugged. "I don't know, but it's not what she wants. She wants to stay at _her_ home, and we have to respect that."

"Yes. Yes I suppose," said Narcissa.

"I packed a suitcase and I'm going to stay with her, at least until the baby is born," he said, glancing at his watch. "And I should be heading back, in case she has another ailment come up."

Narcissa stood up, wiping the dirt from her hands on the gardening apron she was wearing, then walked over to her son and pulled him into a hug. "I know I don't say it often enough, but I am very proud of the man you are becoming."

Draco hugged her back, inhaling his mother's scent, which right now consisted of dirt and jasmine. "I'm trying."

She finally let him go and nodded. "Go. I'll send Millie over with some food in a little bit, if that's alright?"

Draco nodded. "Yes, that's fine. In fact, why don't you have the house elves bring us food daily? It will be one less worry to think about it, for the both of us." When she nodded in agreement, he leaned over and kissed her cheek, before apparating back to his room. He grabbed his suitcase and floo'd to Hermione's.

* * *

The few days were interesting, to say the least. Hermione wasn't used to having someone around all day, and Draco wasn't used to such small living quarters.

They made it work though; Draco would assist Hermione out to the living room where she was ordered to keep her feet up. They read quietly, played wizards chess, or Hermione would introduce him to a new muggle game, some of which he liked (like Monopoly) and some which he didn't (like Shoots and Ladders).

At one point, Draco pointed at the black-box-type-thing in the living room and Hermione explained that it was a telly. Draco was hooked from the moment she turned it on. She had a wide variety of movies to watch so each day he got to pick out a new one.

When they started getting snippy with each other, Draco would leave to go take a walk, or walk down to the market and grab a few things they needed.

One evening, in particular, he returned back to the flat, slightly wet as it had started to rain right before he apparated into the living room. He looked around, not seeing Hermione where he left her and sighed. He walked the short distance down the hall, about to knock on the bathroom door to see if she was there when he heard sniffling from the room across from it.

Her bedroom door was cracked and he opened it slightly more to find Hermione sitting on her bed, holding a picture frame, and sobbing her heart out.

Wanting to give her privacy, Draco moved to back away but he heard her soft voice say, "You can come in if you want."

Warring with himself, he finally decided to open the door fully and lean against the door frame. "Are you alright?" he asked after a moment.

Hermione hugged the picture frame to her chest and shook her head. "I miss them. I should have gone and fixed their memories months ago, but I was scared. And now… now they won't be here for the birth of their grandson."

Draco walked quietly into the room and sat on the edge of her bed. "May I?" he asked, his hand out for the picture.

Hermione slowly removed the frame from her chest and handed it to Draco. He glanced at it and noticed that it was the picture that was usually in the living room.

"We can get them as soon as he's born. Or at least, as soon as he's able to travel," Draco said, indicating to the baby.

Hermione grabbed a tissue from the box next to her bed and blew her nose slightly before nodding. "I know, I know. It's just… that's at least another few months away."

Draco stared down at the picture in his hand once more before placing it on her nightstand.

"Are you hungry? I got some takeaway while out," he said.

Hermione chuckled softly. "You're asking a pregnant woman if she's hungry. I'm always hungry."

Draco smirked back at her. "I know, which is why I got you your favorite."

Hermione sighed as he helped her out of the bed. "You spoil me, Draco Malfoy."

"Well, you are carrying my child. It's the least I could do," he said as he escorted her to the living room.

He took out the boxes of food and, forgoing plates, they ate their dinner on the couch, flipping on the telly to one of the shows they both liked watching together.

Tomorrow, however, he was going to talk to Potter; he had a plan and he hoped the Boy Who Lived could help him out.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thank you again for all the reviews and follows! I'm glad everyone is enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Special thanks to SweetLittleBullet for betaing for me. ~HufflepuffMommy**_


	19. Chapter 19

"Are you _sure_ it's ok I stay here, Harry? I don't want to impose.."

"Hermione, for the last time, it's fine," Harry said, chuckling. "Besides, I have a feeling you'll be spending most of the time with Ginny. She's been wanting a girls weekend for a while now."

Hermione smiled. "I'm excited too, though I can't do much."

"If you can paint nails and watch cheesy chick flicks, then you're golden," Ginny said, coming in through the front door, her arms laden with bags. She sighed happily as she walked into the living room. "Bless that Malfoy. I love that I can actually walk and talk in the entryway now."

Hermione laughed. "He told me about that! That's fantastic."

"So where's Malfoy off too again?" Ginny asked, pulling out nail polish, movie cases, and pints of ice cream from the bags.

"Something to do with their family business, though I have no clue what that entails," Hermione said as she shrugged dismissively. "He asked if I wanted to go to the manor while he's gone or here."

"Well, _obviously,_ you chose the right choice. I miss hanging out with you," Ginny said, sitting next to Hermione. "Ok, so which one first?" she said, holding up two movies to choose from. Hermione took each in her hand and began to read the backs of them.

"I'm going to go kidnap Ron and get a pint at the Leaky," Harry said.

Both girls yelled "Bye!" in unison as they proceeded to talk about which movie to watch first.

Harry rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically as he grabbed his cloak and floo'd to the Burrow.

* * *

Nails were painted.

Movies were watched.

Ice cream was devoured.

All in all, it was a great weekend with Ginny, and even Harry when he wasn't hiding away from the women 'and their endless chattering'. She was ready to go home though as she still felt like she was imposing, especially when Monday rolled around and Draco still hadn't returned.

"I'll come home and have lunch with you and make sure you're ok," Harry said, pulling on his auror-in-training robes. "And Kreacher will be here if you need anything. Are you all set for now though?"

Hermione looked at the plethora of books, magazines, and movies that were laid before her on the coffee table, as well as a large cup full of pumpkin juice that she loved so much.

"Yes, Harry, I think I'm good. But are you _sure-_ "

"Don't even ask. You're staying till Malfoy gets back," Harry said, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "I'll see you in a few hours, yeah?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, alright. Have a good day, _dear_."

Harry stuck his tongue out at her before whisking himself away by floo to the Ministry.

Hermione sighed and slumped against the couch. She hated to admit it, but she missed Draco's company that he gave her during the day, even if they did end up snipping at each other from time to time. She never asked what Draco did for his family business, nor even knew he _had_ a business, if she was honest with herself. Well, it could be one more thing they could talk about when he got back… whenever that was.

She sipped at her juice and picked up a book before settling herself into a comfortable position on the couch. The baby kicked, either from the movement or the cold juice, and Hermione smiled and placed a hand on her stomach as she started to read aloud, settling the child within her.

* * *

It wasn't until the fifth day that Hermione received an owl from Draco during dinner that evening. Hermione opened the letter as Harry gave the owl a treat.

 _Hermione-  
_ _Sorry the trip is taking longer than planned.  
_ _I should be back tonight, but very late.  
_ _I'll come fetch you from Potter's in the morning.  
_ _-Draco_

Hermione couldn't help but smile at the familiar writing and the words on the page. She quickly masked it as Harry returned to the table, shoveling food into his mouth once more.

"Good news?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged lightly. "It was from Draco. He said he'll be back late tonight so he's going to fetch me tomorrow morning."

"Don't look so excited," Harry said dryly and Hermione realized she was smiling again. "Or I would think you didn't like it here this week."

"Oh Harry, you know I had a wonderful time here! It's just that.. I miss my home," she said.

"And perhaps a certain blonde?" Harry asked, his eyebrow quirked up a bit.

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head. "We're just… well, I suppose we're friends now. But that's all."

"Mhm," Harry said, squinting his eyes at her. She made a face at him and they both laughed as they finished their meal.

* * *

Draco arrived at nine the next morning.

"Hey," he said, stepping through the floo. Hermione was sitting on the floor, working on a puzzle she had started the day before.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Hello. Have a good trip?" she asked before glancing back down to her puzzle.

Draco nodded. "Yes, actually. I have a surprise for you."

Hermione looked up at him again, shock written all over her face. "Really?"

He smirked at her. "Yes, really, but you can't get it until you're back at home."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" she asked. She waved her wand and shrunk the puzzle she was working on to fit in the box without having to take it apart. Draco helped her up and noticed her overnight bag on the armchair. He whisked it away to her flat before helping her walk to the floo, taking her home after almost a week away.

Hermione walked over to her couch and sat down with a content sigh. "My home," she said with a soft smile on her face.

Draco chuckled and sat down next to her. "So, I have a confession to make before I give you your surprise."

Hermione sat up to look at him and nodded for him to continue.

"I lied. About going out of town for something to do with the family business. I actually had to do something… personal."

Hermione's face fell slightly, thinking he had taken a vacation from _her_ , and was surprised when he reached into his pocket, pulled out an envelope, and held it out to her.

Curiously, she reached for it and turned it over to read her name written on the front. She gasped slightly at the familiar script, bringing her hand to her mouth in slight shock. She turned her wide eyes towards him, full of questions. "How… what…"

"Read the letter," he said quietly. "Then I'll answer everything."

He watched as she shakily opened the envelope and pulled out the letter penned by her mother.

 _Hermione,  
_ _First and foremost, we want to let you know that we love you, so very much._

 _However, we are hurt, and slightly upset, that you would do such a thing such as wipe our memories of YOU, our only daughter! This will take time to trust you again and I hope you understand._

 _We do understand, however, why you did it, as Mr. Malfoy was kind enough to let us know why you did what you did. I just wish you would have told us beforehand. Would we have agreed to it? Probably not, but the choice would have been nice._

 _He also explained why he's here instead of you and to be honest, I wish you would have come sooner! I could have helped you with your pregnancy. I don't know if I ever told you this, but I had high blood pressure with you as well and had to be induced with you three weeks before your due date. Hopefully your little son will be able to stay put until we get there._

 _We want to come home as soon as possible to help out, but since building a life and business here, we need time to settle things and pack to move. Mr. Malfoy was kind enough to give us some money to help with the moving expenses. It was unnecessary, but he insisted. We are hoping to be back in about two weeks, three at the most. He said that you told him our old house was vacant and will insure himself that it will be ready for us to move back into. He really is a sweet man, despite all that happened between you two._

 _We will let you know when we're back in London. In the meantime, rest as much as possible, drink lots of water, and keep your feet up._

 _Love you to the moon and back,  
_ _Mum and Dad._

Hermione wiped away the tears in her eyes as she finished the letter, folding it back up and placing it against her chest. She looked at Draco who was regarding her with caution; he really wasn't sure how she was going to react to the fact that he went without her to reverse the memory spell on her parents.

"You… you went to Australia?" she asked.

Draco nodded. "I did."

"But… why?" she asked.

Draco shrugged lightly. "You were upset that your parents couldn't be here for the birth of their first grandson, and, well, I wanted to try and fix that."

Her eyes welled up once more and she did the only thing she could think of doing; She flung herself towards him and wrapped him a hug. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

He put his arms around her (once the shock wore off) and hugged her back gently. "You're welcome."

She pulled back from him and smiled then looked at the letter again. "Tell me everything. Where were they? How do they look? What exactly did you tell them?"

Draco chuckled. "Slow down. I'll tell you everything, I promise. First though, I'm starving, so I'm going to heat up some breakfast. Waffles sound good?"

Hermione nodded eagerly as Draco got up and went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She had already eaten earlier with Harry, but there was no way she'd pass up on waffles. The little kick within her agreed and she smiled as she opened the letter once more, reading the letter again, this time with a smile on her face.

Draco got out the waffles that were left by house elf in the refrigerator and heated them up with a wave of his wand. He saw that there was fresh blueberries and homemade whipped cream so he spooned a dollop of each on their plates before making his way towards the living room.

Hermione put the letter back into the envelope and placed it on the coffee table before eyeing her waffles. "Those look amazing," she said. She cut into her waffles and nearly moaned as she took her first bite. Once she chewed and swallowed, she glanced towards Draco and said, "Ok, spill."

"Well, first off, I wanted to point out that I can't take _all_ the credit. I actually talked with Potter about this trip before going."

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "Harry _knew_? And he didn't tell me? I'm gonna kill him."

Draco chuckled. "Apparently after the war, he convinced the head auror to do a check on your parents; they weren't to intrude or make themselves known in any way possible, just check in. He copied a few pictures you had of them from your photos and handed them out. They came back a few days later, reports of happy and healthy "Wilkins', aka Grangers" living in Bunbury. They actually talked to the Wizarding Ministry in Australia, which is rather small considering it's in the middle of Sydney, and they kept an eye on your parents all this time."

"Wow," said Hermione softly. "I had no idea…"

"Potter said he was going to tell you as soon as you decided to go back to get them. Since the Ministry there knew of their location, it would have been easier to find them."

"So is that where you went? The Ministry?" she asked as she took another bite of her waffles.

"Yes. One of the aurors there, Anderson I think, took me to their residence and then their place of business. I took a day to observe them; to get to know their routine. I even made an appointment with their… dentist, is it? Their dentist office. Which, by the way, your father proclaimed that my teeth are the most perfect white teeth he has ever seen," Draco said proudly, as he took another bite of his breakfast.

Hermione giggled into her hand. "Wait till he finds out that you just charm them clean."

"And ruin his good thoughts of me? No way. Besides, I only do that when I'm in a hurry" he said, smirking. Hermione just rolled her eyes and shook her head as he continued. "So I had been watching them for a few days and even got to know them a little from the appointment I had. I had to figure out how to get them alone to reverse the memory charm. I finally decided to configure a car from an old bicycle I found and placed it in front of their house. I pretended to be surprised when they answered the door, saying that my vehicle broke down and I needed to call a tow. They, being the generous people that they are, invited me in without question to let me use their fellytone-"

"Telephone," Hermione corrected.

"Yes, that. When their backs were turned, I used a spell that put them to sleep, then I worked on their memories," he glanced up at Hermione. "I have to say Granger, you did really good work. It took a while to sort through the fake and real memories. I did your mother first, then your father. When they woke up the next morning, they were confused but I was there to explain, well, everything."

Hermione bit her lip. "How did that go?"

Draco pursed his lips. "As well as could be expected. They were furious at first. I had to make them some tea with a drop of calming drought, just enough to get them to calm down. Then I explained… The war; who's side you were on and even what side I was on. I explained why you changed their memories and put them in hiding; that if you hadn't, they would have been dead by now. That seemed to catch their attention and somber them up a bit. They asked how you were and momentarily panicked because you weren't there with me, thinking you were hurt or…or dead. I explained that you were perfectly fine, just unexpectantly pregnant, and on bed rest, otherwise, you would have been there as well. They were shocked at first then asked who the father was." Draco took a break from talking, gathering his thoughts as he took a sip of juice. "I told them I was. They assumed we were together and I told them that we weren't; that we just starting to become friends. They… they wanted more answers and I told them the truth; about how you were tortured and I was forced to force myself on you. Your father… He nearly punched me," Draco chuckled darkly. "Your mother stopped him, though I wouldn't have blamed him if he had."

Hermione reached over and placed her small hand on top of his and gave it a squeeze. He looked up at her and she had tears in her eyes again. "You know I don't blame you, right?"

Draco nodded. "I know." He took a breath and continued. "Once I was done explaining everything, I told them where they could reach me and said I was leaving at the end of the week. Your mother contacted me two days later. We met at a bakery near their home and she handed me that letter and then hugged and thanked me. She said that they were coming back to England but needed time to settle things there first. I had gone to the bank previously and took out a couple thousand galleons and exchanged them to Australian muggle money. She wouldn't accept it, of course, but after a bit of charm she finally relented."

Hermione sighed, shaking her head. "You really didn't have to do that. They make good money with their dentistry business."

Draco shrugged. "I wanted to help. Anyways, I went to the ministry and got an international portkey and returned home yesterday." He glanced at her again. "Are you mad? That I went without you?"

Hermione shook her head "No, I'm not mad. Surprised? Very. But mad? No." She leaned over and hugged him again. "I don't know how to thank you for this."

"You're carrying our son, I think you're doing enough already."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Sneaky Draco! I think some of you had figured out that that was what he was planning though :)**_  
 _ **I'm still on vacation, but I've been able to sneak in some writing here and there. The next chapter and the one after are going to be a little more intense... hope you're all ready! ~HufflepuffMommy**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Today is my last day of vacation and my family and I are heading home tonight (four-hour flight with three kids- wish us luck!). For all of your patience during my time away, here is another chapter for you all! Enjoy! ~HufflepuffMommy**_

* * *

The following few days were as if Draco had never been gone and they fell back into their usual routine once again. Draco left a few times to check on Hermione's parents home and assigned a few house elves to clean it so that not a speck of dust was to be seen. He also stocked it with food and put a stasis spell on it all so that nothing would go bad.

Once everything there was secure, he went to Diagon Alley to head back to The Leaky Cauldron, when he passed by a children's clothing store. He glanced in at the display window and decided to go in on a whim.

Half an hour later, a small bag with his purchase dangling from his hand, he glanced across the street to Flourish and Blotts. He walked over towards it, wondering if any new books have been stocked that he could get for Hermione; he felt weird getting something for baby and not for her.

Almost as soon as he reached the doors, a silver mist flew towards him, circling his body before he was face to face with an image of an otter.

"Come back. Quickly," came a faint voice from within the corporeal Patronus.

He stared in shock as the otter vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"Hermione..." he said to himself before he apparated from the steps of the shop to inside her flat.

"Hermione!" he called out, dropping the bag from his hand as soon as his feet connected to the floor.

"In here," he heard her say as he walked down the hall to the bedroom.

She was in bed and her face was puffy and bright red, with sweat dripping from her face.

"What's going on?" he asked, stepping into the room.

"I… I don't know. But I don't feel right. I'm dizzy, lightheaded, nauseous, and my head hurts like nothing I have ever experienced before. I'm also so swollen, I can barely walk." She motioned to her legs and Draco noticed that her feet were severely swollen.

His face hardened. "Come on, we're going to St. Mungo's."

She nodded weakly as she attempted to get off the bed.

"Don't, I'll carry you," Draco said, going over to her side.

"Draco, I'm too heavy," she argued.

He rolled his eyes, using a spell to levitate her slightly so that when he picked her up she barely weighed anything.

"Hold on," he said. She tightened her arms around his neck as he spun on his heel and apparated them both into the emergency area of St. Mungo's.

At once, a floating gurney appeared next to them and Draco set her down just as healers started coming towards them.

"What's wrong?" the first one asked.

"Blood pressure… spiking," Hermione said, her eyes closed as she tried taking in deep breaths of air.

"Who's your healer?"

"Clearwater," Draco answered for her.

With a nod, another healer popped out of sight, only to return a moment later with Healer Clearwater.

"Hermione!" she said. She took her patient's vitals and said to the team around her. "Her blood pressure is out of control. We need to get that baby out, stat!" she said.

Hermione reached for Draco's hand and gripped it tightly. "But... I'm only 32 weeks. It's… it's too soon."

"We have to, Hermione, it's the only way, or else there's risk to losing you or the baby."

Hermione gulped and nodded as she looked at Draco with fear in her eyes.

"It'll be ok," he said reassuringly. "I won't leave your side-"

Hermione's eyes rolled in the back of her head before he could finish what he was going to say and Draco was pushed aside while spells and charms were cast, trying to stabilize her and the baby.

"What's going to happen?" Draco asked as he followed the group of people who were pushing the floating gurney through a set of double doors.

"Please, sir, you need to wait out here," said one of the healers.

"I'm the father!" he protested angrily. " Surely I can come-"

"No. You may not. This is an emergency situation and _no one,_ except healers, are allowed. Now, go sit and we'll let you know of the situation as soon as we are able."

With that, the remaining healer walked through the double doors, leaving Draco alone.

He tried to walk towards them anyways but was pushed back by an invisible barrier.

"Fuck!" he said angrily, pacing the doors and gripping the hair at his scalp.

He was scared, nervous, and completely out of his element and he didn't like it one bit.

He paced a few more times before realizing that he needed to contact people. Hermione had been trying to teach him to cast a Patronus, but he had yet to produce anything besides a small silver mist from his wand.

Looking harried, he rushed over to the information desk. "Can I use a floo? Or borrow an owl? Something? Anything?"

The lady at the desk nodded and stood up. "Right this way. There is a floo available for floo-call's only available to patients."

Draco sighed gratefully and thanked her as he followed her to another room, the only thing in it was a small fireplace, big enough for just a head to fit through.

"You can make your call's then head back out to the waiting room," the woman said with a nod before closing the door behind her.

Draco walked over quickly to the mantel, grabbed a handful of floo powder, and made the first of a few calls he knew he had to make.

* * *

No less than half an hour later, the waiting room was filled with quite a few more people: Narcissa, who was sitting in one of the chairs with a slight worry on her face; Harry, who said that Ginny would be there as soon as she could after her practice; Ron, who seemed uncomfortable, but wanted to be there to support Hermione and had tagged along with Harry; as well as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who Draco assumed were like an adopted parents to Hermione.

He was still pacing the double doors, glancing in the little window every few minutes to see if anyone was coming down the hall while everyone talked amongst themselves.

"Draco dear, sit down. You're going to exhaust yourself," his mother said, patting the seat next to her.

"I just want a bloody update," Draco scowled towards the door.

Mrs. Weasley tentatively walked over and placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "She'll be ok, as well as that baby of yours. I know it. St. Mungo's healers are the best. But, your mother is right; you're going to need to rest and keep your strength. Hermione is going to be weak from surgery and she's going to need you to help with the baby."

Draco glanced at her before nodding once and going over to sit next to his mother.

"It's too soon," he said quietly so that only she could hear.

"Shhh," she said, placing a hand over his in comfort. "It'll be alright. He'll be tiny, yes, but with the care he will receive here, he will be well taken care of. Have faith."

Draco sighed as he closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the chair.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco's eyes shot open and he was out of his seat within seconds, heading over to the healer who had just come out of the double doors.

"How is she? How's the baby? Can I see them?" he asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth before the healer could say anything.

"They are both fine. Resting at the moment, but fine. Your son, well, as expected, he's small, being born so early, but he's already proving to be a little fighter."

Draco let out a relieved breath. "Can I see them?"

"I'm afraid not quite yet. Miss Granger is still asleep from surgery and the baby is in the NICU part of the nursery; only healers allowed in at the moment until he's more stable and can be handled easier."

"Stable? You just said he was fine?" Draco said irritably.

"And he is, but his lungs are under-developed so he needs assistance breathing right now. His immune system is unstable being so small as well; we can't risk infection. He also needs to be under some heat to help regulate his body temperature." The healer glanced at the charts. "Healer Clearwater will be out in a little bit to talk to you more and once Miss Granger is awake, you can go see her."

Draco nodded. "Alright."

The healer disappeared behind the double doors and Draco turned around, surprised to see that everyone else was standing right behind him.

"-So she's ok?"

"-How's the baby?"

"-When can we see her?"

"-Will be the baby be able to come home soon?"

Draco held up his hands up to stop the onslaught of questions. "The healer said they were both fine, but can't be seen yet. Hermione is still asleep and the baby is in the NICU, getting stabilized. We can see Granger once she wakes but I'm unsure about the baby. It… it might be a while till anyone is able to see him, even me and Hermione."

Everyone nodded and murmured to themselves as they went back towards the seating area. Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"She'll be ok, you know. That Hermione is one of the bravest women I know."

Draco heard the voice behind him and nodded, turning to Harry. "I know. I know she'll be ok. I'm worried about _him_ though…"

"Well, if he's anything like his parents, I'm sure he'll be just fine," Harry said with a slight shrug and reassuring smile.

Draco sighed tiredly. " _Hermione_ is clever and brave and selfless… but what do I have to contribute? My _galleons_?" he asked sarcastically.

Harry was about to respond when Ron spoke up behind him. "You have loyalty."

Harry and Draco both turned and looked at Ron; twin surprised expressions on their red-haired man shrugged as he continued, "You did whatever you could to keep yourself _and_ your parents safe during the war, right? That's gotta account for something."

Harry nodded in agreement, turning back to Draco. "Exactly. Plus, you're both incredibly stubborn, a trait I guarantee he'll have. (Draco rolled his eyes and smirked at the same time) and in no time at all, I'm sure he'll be out of here."

Draco chuckled, rubbing his hands over his face. "I sure hope you blokes are right."

"We're Gryffindors; we're always right," Ron said smugly as he walked back over to his parents.

Harry shook his head chuckled at his friend's' retreating form before he clapped Draco on the shoulder. "Congratulations, by the way. You're a dad now."

A small smile formed on Draco's lips. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Thanks, Potter. And I suppose Weasley isn't as bad. Though he's still a bit of a prat."

"Pretty sure he thinks the same about you," Harry said. "But as long as you two can get along for the sake of Hermione and now your son, I think everything will be ok."

* * *

Another hour went by without any change from Hermione. Healer Clearwater had come out to talk to Draco but she said the same things that the Healer before her had said. She did explain to Draco that his son was doing well, just very small. They were hopeful that once Hermione woke up that they could go see him, but they wouldn't be able to hold him for another day or so.

Draco slumped in a chair once the Healer left again. "You all can probably go home. It might be a while until anything changes," he said to the room at large.

There was arguing and debating all around, but eventually, everyone left with a promise that Draco would floo-call them the moment anything happens.

When everyone left, and Draco was left by himself, Healer Clearwater came over to him again.

"Any change?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not yet, but that's not surprising. The potions in her system are doing their job, but It won't be too much longer. Since everyone else has left, would you like to wait in the room with her?"

Draco nodded and followed the Healer through a different set of doors than the ones that Hermione had been whisked away through earlier that day.

When he got her recovery room, he was glad to see that she looked relatively normal - perhaps a bit paler, and her stomach wasn't as round, but that was to be expected.

He sat down in a chair next to her and rested his elbows on her bed.

"It's been quite a day," he said, glancing at her. "Though I guess I don't have to tell you that."

He shifted in his seat so that he was leaning back, his head resting against the back of the chair. "Potter, the Weasley's, and my mother were all here. We're told the baby is fine; small, but fine. They won't let me see him yet." He glanced at her again. "I wish you'd wake. Maybe then they'll allow us to see him."

When she didn't stir, he closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh, letting himself doze off and rest for the first time that day.


	21. Chapter 21

"Draco," Hermione whispered softly.

She had woken up not long ago, momentarily confused and panicked; that is, until she saw Draco, slumped in a chair near her hospital bed and fast asleep. For some reason his presence made her feel better; safer. She glanced down at her stomach and put her hands on it tenderly, wondering how, or where, her baby was.

She tried to sit up, but it hurt too much to do so, so she spoke louder. "Draco. Wake up," she said firmly.

He startled awake then, looking around in bewilderment until his eyes landed on the witch in the bed. "Hermione," he said, sitting up. "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Like my stomach was ripped open," she said dryly.

Draco aimed his wand at the door, making it glow to inform the Healers that they were needed. "I bet. The potions they gave you should be helping with that though."

Just then, a healer walked in with potion vials laying on a tray she was carrying.

"Can I see my baby?" Hermione asked straight away.

The healer smiled. "Yes, soon, I promise. It's good to see you're awake, Miss Granger. I have a few things for you to take to help manage the pain and make the healing process go faster."

Draco stood back as the healer handed Hermione a pain relieving and anti-inflammatory potion, a blood replenishing potion, and finally an antibiotic. She then lifted the sheets up and glanced at Hermione's incision, pleased to see that it was healing up nicely.

"Did they use dittany?" Hermione asked curiously, letting her fingers trail the thin scar.

The Healer nodded. "Yes, though a stronger version of it for surgeries such as this. Though there is still going to be some tenderness for a few more days, however. We'll want to have you walking in a bit, to get those muscles in use again, but we'll make sure you don't overdo it."

Hermione nodded then looked at the Healer with a worried expression. "How's the baby?"

The healer smiled and patted Hermione's knee. "He's doing well. Tiny, but well. Healer Clearwater will be into work in a few hours to look over your vitals and then she'll take you to her son."

They both thanked the healer as she left and Draco dropped back to the chair next to the bed.

"No offense, but you look like shite. Did you sleep at all?" Hermione asked as she leaned against her pillows.

Draco shook his head. "Not really. Just whatever I got while sitting in the chair."

Hermione yawned. "The potions are kicking in and making me tired. Why don't you go home and come back in a few hours? This way we'll both be rested when we see our son."

Draco wanted to argue, to say that he wasn't going anywhere, but he was too damn tired. "Alright. A few hours for a little kip, then I'll be right back." He got up and stretched, looking down at Hermione and found that she was already fast asleep.

As he walked towards the floo section of St. Mungo's, he realized that it was still late into the night; or perhaps, very early in the morning, with how quiet and empty the building seemed. He used the first available floo and it wasn't until he stepped into the living room that he realized he went to Hermione's flat instead of his own room at the manor.

With a tired shrug, he walked towards the couch and flicked his wand to transform it into a bed for himself like normal. When his foot connected with something on the floor, he glanced down, seeing the bag from the children's clothing store he had dropped earlier that day.

He picked it up and placed it near the fireplace so that he would remember to bring it with him when he went back to the hospital after a few hours rest.

* * *

The next time Hermione woke up, Draco was back, looking rested and refreshed. He was reading a book and didn't notice she was awake until she shifted slightly so that she was sitting up.

"Ah, she finally wakes," he said with a smirk.

She grinned at him. "You're looking better than before. I take it a few hours sleep in your own bed helped with that?"

Draco scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Ah, well, actually, I went to your flat out of habit so I just slept where I normally do in that situation." He got up and walked over to the door of the room and wheeled in a food cart. "Breakfast? They brought it over a bit ago but you were still asleep."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, please. I'm starved."

Draco set the tray in front of her and Hermione tucked into her meal.

"How's the food?" he asked conversationally.

"It's not bad. Not as good as the food sent over from the manor, but passable," she said, taking another bite.

Draco chuckled and muttered "I bet" before he opened his book again and continued reading.

"Have you been able to see him yet?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head. "Not yet. I think they're waiting for both us to be present."

"And my parents? I know they were still in Australia but were you able to let them know what happened?"

"My Mother said she was going to owl them. Their fireplace isn't connected to the floo so I couldn't floo-call them like everyone else. I'm sure they'll come as soon as they can."

Hermione nodded as she picked at the rest of her food then noticed a small gift bag on the table next to her bed. "What's this?" she asked.

Draco glanced up and nodded towards the present. "That is a little something I picked up at a baby clothing store right before your Patronus came."

"Can I open it?" she asked.

Draco shrugged. "I don't see why not."

As she reached for the bag, Draco was nervously awaiting her reaction and felt relieved when she smiled, pulling out the outfit.

It was an infant pajama sleeper, in thick orange and dark blue stripes. But what was really amazing to her was how there was a picture of a lion on the front and not a snake, as she expected. "This is adorable," she said.

Draco smirked. "Turn it around."

She did as she was told and started giggling. There was a small lion's tail on the bum section as well an attached hoodie that looked like a lion's head.

"This is absolutely the cutest thing I have seen so far. I think it should be his coming home outfit," she said, looking up at him.

Draco grinned proudly. "There's one more thing in the bag you missed."

Curiously, Hermione looked in the bag again and she found something wrapped in tissue paper on the bottom. She pulled it out and unwrapped it, smiling as she did so. She held up a pair of little grey booties, with a green snake stitched onto the top of each one.

"I couldn't very well leave out _my_ house when making such purchases," he said with a wink.

Hermione chuckled and shook her head, putting both items back in the bag. "They're perfect. Thank you."

Draco nodded, smiling softly. "You're welcome."

Healer Clearwater walked in and both Hermione and Draco perked up when she did so.

"How's he doing?" Draco asked.

Clearwater smiled. "He's doing rather well. He still needs help with breathing on his own and regulating his temperature, but as he grows and eats, that should all be regulated in no time. How are you feeling, Hermione?"

"I'm well. Much better than yesterday," she said.

"You gave us quite a fright. I'm glad you came when you did," the Healer said as she walked over and checked her vitals. "Your blood pressure seems to have regulated, but we'll still keep an eye on it for awhile, just in case."

"Will I be able to breastfeed?" Hermione asked.

"I don't see why not. You'll have to start pumping though, as he will be too small to actually nurse from you just yet. We can give it to him through the feeding tube and in time, we can use a syringe until he's ready to nurse."

"Ok, good," Hermione said. "Can we see him?"

"Yes, actually, and we'll use this opportunity to have you walk and use your muscles. You up for that?"

The witch nodded eagerly. "Yes. I dislike being confined to a bed." She pulled the covers from her legs and swung them over the side of the bed. She stepped down gently and lifted herself, wobbling slightly. Draco was over in a flash and grabbed her elbow to help steady her. Hermione hissed quietly as she took a step, then another. "Is the NICU far?" she asked.

Clearwater chuckled. "Just down the hall. We'll go slow so you don't overwork yourself."

It took almost twenty minutes, but they finally made it to the area where their son was at.

A wheelchair appeared next to Hermione, who sat in it gratefully.

"You did wonderfully," Clearwater said. "Just sit tight while I make sure everything is good to go for us to visit."

The two parents nodded and eagerly waited for the Healer to return, which thankfully, was less than a minute.

"Alright, you two. Step through here and a sanitation spell will wash over you before you head into the main room. Healer Frost will meet you on the other side. She's head of the NICU department."

After saying their thanks, Draco wheeled Hermione into the small room and a tingle of magic that ran over them, automatically cleaning them from any germs they might be carrying.

They found Healer Frost, an older woman with striking white hair, and followed her through the main room, passing by other babies and their parents on the way.

Finally, they walked towards a cot encased within a bubble at the end of the room. The cot's mattress was raised so that the infant within was only half a foot from the top. Hermione stood, wanting to get a closer look, and, hand in hand, she and Draco walked over to finally look at their baby.

He was small, that was for sure. He was laying on his back, surrounded by rolled up blankets. He had a tube going into his tiny nose but other than that, he looked to be doing ok. He was asleep and wearing just a nappy, the size of which Draco had never seen before and realized they probably had to shrink the regular ones just to fit him. There was an ID tag on his leg which read:

"Baby Boy" Granger-Malfoy  
DOB: 11/23/1998  
ID# 46492787

Draco was sure he would be able to fit most of him in the palm of his hand. The hair on the top of his head was so blond that it was almost white which made Draco smile and wondered if he would have his or Hermione's eye color. He glanced over at Hermione who was standing there, her free hand covering her mouth as a few tears slipped from her eyes. He was worried for a moment that she was upset, but then she looked at him and gave him a watery smile before squeezing his hand.

"He's beautiful," she said, looking back to their son.

Draco nodded in agreement.

Healer Frost walked around to the other side of the cot and waved her wand to get his stats up. "He's doing really well right now." She looked up at Hermione and smiled. "Would you like to hold him? It can't be for too long, but skin-to-skin contact is really important to his development."

Hermione nodded eagerly. "Yes, please."

The healer conjured up two plush chairs and the pair of them walked over and took a seat.

With some maneuvering, Healer Frost removed the bubble that surrounded the infant and picked him up gently, making sure not to tangle the tube that was currently attached to him. "It's his feeding tube," she explained to the couple's questioning glance. "And the bubble around his cot is what keeps him warm and helps to regulate his body temp."

Hermione unbuttoned the top of her hospital gown slightly and Clearwater gently placed the baby on her chest, then covered them both with a warm blanket.

Draco wished he had a camera at that moment and realized that he remembered seeing one in Hermione's room. He concentrated on its location and flicked his wand, the camera appearing into his hand.

Hermione barely noticed anything except for the tiny bundle in her arms as she put her palm on his back and nearly covered him completely due to how small he was. Draco took a few pictures before setting it aside and walked over to stand behind Hermione and look down at the baby to get a closer look.

His little fists were clenched and his mouth was opened slightly as he breathed easily on his mother. Draco bent down and kissed his son's head, before turning and placing a gentle kiss to Hermione's temple. "Thank you," he said quietly and Hermione nodded as she ran a gentle finger over the child's arm.

"Do you have a name?" the Healer asked quietly as she watched the little family.

Hermione looked at Draco who gave a small smile and a nod.

"Yes. His name is Phineas. Phineas Joseph Granger-Malfoy."

* * *

 _ **And we have a name! I know some of you were wondering "Why**_ **that** _ **name? Well, I wanted something different and not used often, but still a family name. And since Phineas Nigelus was the great-great grandfather to Sirius, it was also in honor to him as well. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter!**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**A/N: Monday's are yucky... so here's a new chapter for you all! Enjoy! ~HufflepuffMommy**_

* * *

That day was a whirlwind of visitors. Harry and Ginny came by while Hermione and Draco were in the NICU and they accosted the new parents as soon as they were back in their room. They were sad they couldn't see the baby, but happy he was doing so well and that at least Hermione and Draco were able too. Draco pulled Harry aside and gave the camera he took from Hermione's room to the bespectacled man, asking him to get the pictures out for him. Harry gave him a quizzical look before nodding, shrinking the camera and putting it in his pocket. He'll take the film in to get developed later that day.

Narcissa came by as soon as Draco floo-called her. She wanted to hear every detail of how their visit with her grandchild went and voiced, loud and clear, that she wished she could see him too. Hermione and Draco promised that they would talk to the Healers about when visitors can meet him and she seemed content with that.

Neville and Luna came by next, with some gifts for the baby; a wizarding dream catcher of sorts to keep the wrackspurts and nargles away from the infant (from Luna, obviously) and a small potted plant of lavender from Neville. "It's supposed to help babies calm down and sleep at night," he explained.

When they left, Draco turned to Hermione. "What are wrack-"

"-Don't ask," Hermione said chuckling, flicking her wand at the presents so that they relocated to her flat.

Everyone seemed to love the baby's name, who was instantly nicknamed Finn, which, thankfully, the parents didn't mind in the least, seeing as how they used it as well.

Draco had stepped out for a few hours and during that time, Ron had shown up with a bouquet of white daisies and sheepish smile upon his face.

When Hermione told him the name of the baby, Ron looked confused for a moment before laughing. "You know, I was sort of joking around when I pointed it out," he said.

Hermione shrugged. "I know, but it was honestly one of my top names, and for some reason, when you suggested it, it really sealed the deal."

Ron gave her a crooked smile. "I'm, er, glad I could help…" He reached over and took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "I'm proud of you, 'Mione."

Hermione smiled back and shook her head. "I didn't do much. I was basically passed out when they took the baby out."

"I meant, I'm glad you kept the baby… even if I was a prat about it at times."

"'At times'?" she asked, raising a brow.

He shrugged, looking sheepish. "As you've said before... I have the emotional range of a teaspoon." He sighed. "Sometimes I wonder... How all of this would have been different if I would have stuck around, you know?"

It was her turn to squeeze his hand. "I don't blame you…"

"Were you happy with me? When we were together for the short while before you found out about the pregnancy?"

Hermione nodded. "I was. It was nice. Comfortable."

"But… you didn't get the feeling that it would be a forever type of thing?" he said more than asked.

"I was hoping that feeling would have changed as time went on. I love you, Ronald, you know that but… I'm not sure I was ever _in-love_ with you…"

Ron let out a breath and nodded. "Yeah… I guess I understand that." He looked over at her and blushed slightly. "On that note, I guess it's safe to tell you that I started seeing someone."

Hermione's brows rose in surprise. "Oh? Anyone I know?"

"You remember Susan Bones, right?"

"Yes. Hufflepuff in our year, right? In the DA with us?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Anyways, we've run into each other at the Ministry a few times and ended up having lunch together a bit… we had our first date a few days ago," he said, blushing vividly now.

Hermione smiled. "I'm happy for you, Ron."

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Thank, Hermione."

Just then, Draco appeared in the door frame with some food and Ron stood up, glancing at the clock. "I should probably head back. I didn't realize how long I've been here. Mum will withhold dessert if I keep being late for dinner," he said with an eye roll.

Hermione laughed. "It was good seeing you. Tell your parents they can stop by anytime."

"Will do. Bye, 'Mione," he turned to leave, his eyes landing on Draco. "See ya, Malfoy."

Draco nodded curtly. "Bye, Weasley."

After Ron left, Draco raised an eyebrow to Hermione. "Did I interrupt anything?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. We were just talking. I think… I think we both finally got closure."

Draco sat down in the chair and conjured up a small table for himself, placing the bags of food on it. "I see. Any update on Finn?"

Hermione smiled widely. "Healer Frost said that he's still doing well. I was able to pump a little bit today and they said they would put that in his feeding tube."

"Good," Draco said with a smile, dishing out the food, placing some on the tray table beside Hermione's bed as well as his own plate. "Any update on when they're releasing you?" he asked.

"I think tomorrow," Hermione said, tucking into her food. "I'm walking better and I'm not as sore as I was, thanks to all the potions I've been taking."

Draco nodded and began to take a bite of food and stopped when he heard sniffling. He looked up to see Hermione crying into her napkin.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, confused.

"I don't want to leave him," she said softly, looking at him with distraught in her eyes.

Draco nodded, understanding fully. He got up from his seat and sat next to Hermione on her bed, where she turned and cried into his chest.

"It's shitty," he finally agreed. "But you know we'll both be here every day. And he's getting the best care there is, and soon, he'll be home."

Hermione sniffled and nodded; her tears finally subsiding as she rested her cheek on his chest. "I know; you're right. I just… I never thought I'd be leaving the hospital _without_ him, you know?"

Draco nodded, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I know."

Realizing how close the two were at the moment, Hermione cleared her throat as she lifted herself off of him. "Thank you….for letting me cry on you."

Draco shrugged. "Wasn't a problem. Feeling better now?"

She nodded as she sat back up and turned to her meal as Draco left her side to go to go back to his own chair. She blamed her scrambled hormones for the fact that she was slightly disappointed he didn't stay next to her, and instead, started talking about how they should set up a schedule to be with Finn at all times so that he's never alone.

* * *

To Draco's immense surprise, Blaise had shown up, with a present "for the little tyke".

"You didn't have to do that, Zabini," Hermione said, taking the gift from the man. "But thank you all the same," she said with a smile.

Blaise shrugged. "He's my best mates son. And seeing as how you're my best mates son's mother, you can call me Blaise," he said with a wink.

Hermione chuckled. "I suppose, being that you're best mates with my son's father, that you can call me Hermione."

The two laughed as Draco rolled his eyes. The gift which Blaise had brought, was a toddler racing broom.

Hermione looked at the gift questingly. "Um, I appreciate the gift Blaise, but, you do realize that he's an _infant_ , right?"

The dark skinned man rolled his eyes. "Obviously he's too small for it _now_ , but he _will_ grow up you know."

Hermione conceded and sent the present to her flat and Draco just chuckled and shook his head.

Blaise talked Draco into going out for drinks, in celebration of the birth of his son. Hermione smiled encouragingly and Draco let himself be whisked away, with a promise to himself that he'd be back in two hours tops.

Hermione had fallen asleep while Draco was out and when she woke up, she was slightly disappointed that he wasn't back yet. Looking at the time, she realized it was the middle of the night. Not being able to fall back asleep, she slipped out of bed and walked down the hall to the NICU department. She and Draco were given permission to come by anytime they wished and were given a magical band around their wrist that would grant them access to the magically locked door.

She walked into the first room and the sanitizing spell washed over her before she opened the next door to go into the NICU main area. She passed by sleeping babies in their cots, the bubbles around them glowing slightly. When she reached Finn's, she stopped at the scene before her.

Finn wasn't in his cot, but rather, was sleeping soundly on his father's bare chest, a thick blanket covering both of them as they reclined slightly in a comfortable recliner. She put a hand to her chest as her heart melted at the sight. She walked over quietly and noticed that Draco was asleep as well. Not wanting to disturb him, she bent down and brushed a soft kiss atop her son's head but when she looked up, Draco had opened his eyes and gave her a sleepy smile.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," he whispered back.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she said, still whispering.

"It's alright, I don't mind."

"How long have you been here?" she asked quietly as she sat down next to him, seeing as how the recliner was wider than most.

"I came back around 10 and you were fast asleep. I decided to check in on Finn and Healer Frost told me that he was being a bit fussy and suggested that maybe I hold him for a bit. I've been here ever since."

She smiled down at her son and rested her hand on his small back. "Looks like he's settled down quite nicely."

Draco nodded softly so as not to disturb the sleeping child. "Do you want to hold him?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head. "He seems comfortable here; I wouldn't want to wake him up."

He nodded again. "You should get back to bed and get some rest," he suggested.

Hermione yawned as she scooted closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder, her hand still on the baby's back. "I will in a moment."

When her breathing evened out, Draco knew she was fast asleep, and with the warmth of his son on his chest, and Hermione nestled into his side, he quickly followed suit.

* * *

The next morning, as Hermione was waiting on Healer Clearwater to discharge her, Mrs. Weasley stopped by.

"I just wanted to drop off a little something," she said, handing Hermione a small wrapped package. "Arthur wanted to be here as well, but he got called into an emergency at work."

"Oh Mrs. Weasley, you know you didn't have to get us anything," Hermione said with a hesitant smile. She still felt bad that she and Ron broke things off; she knew the Weasley matriarch had been hoping she'd marry her son one day.

Mrs. Weasley waved her off. "Oh pish posh, think nothing of it. Now, why don't you open it up and see if it's to your liking?" she asked nervously.

Hermione nodded as she began to unwrap the small present. Draco was standing off to the side when Mrs. Weasley came in but moved closer to see what the present was.

Hermione gasped softly as she removed the wrapping paper and lifted up an infant size, dark blue sweater, with the little grey "P" in the middle. Hermione's eyes instantly watered up. "Oh, Mrs. Weasley… This is wonderful!"

"I was going to wait until Christmas to give it to him like I do everyone else, but I just couldn't wait. It was my first time making one so small… I hope it fits," the elder witch fretted.

Hermione held it up to take another look. "It might be a bit big now, but he'll grow into it." She looked up at the witch again and walked over to hug her. "Thank you so much."

Draco didn't really understand the significance of the Weasley sweater, but watched as the two witches hugged for a moment, before breaking apart, tears in both of their eyes.

"Well, I should probably head back. I still have many more Christmas presents to make, and only a month to do so," she said with a wink. Then she walked over to Draco and surprised him by wrapping him a hug as well. When she let him go, she patted his cheek. "You take care, Mr. Malfoy."

"Er… thanks, Mrs. Weasley," he said, a little uneasy as he watched the plump woman leave. Hermione just smiled as she rechecked her bag for the tenth time.

Healer Clearwater walked in moments later. "Alright Hermione, you are all discharged. I bet you'll be glad to sleep in your own bed tonight," the Healer asked with a smile.

"Yes, I am more than ready for that. However, I am a bit sad that I can't take Finn home with me," Hermione said dejectedly.

Clearwater put a reassuring hand on Hermione's arm and gave it a squeeze. "He's growing faster than anticipated. When he was born, he was three and a half pounds, roughly one and a half kilos. He's already gained a few ounces and soon will be off of oxygen. Once he gains a bit more and can efficiently take from a bottle or nurse without risk of aspirating, he'll be home in no time, I promise."

"If you were to take a guess, how much longer do you think that will take?" Draco asked.

"I'd say two weeks, three tops," the Healer said confidently. "In the meantime, I'm sure Healer Frost told you that you two can stop by anytime to visit him, day or night. If we need to get a hold of you, we will either send a patronus or floo-call you."

Both parents nodded then said their goodbye's to the Healer as she walked out, needing to tend to another patient.

Hermione and Draco turned towards each other. "Well, I guess I'll head home and put away all the gifts we got," Hermione said.

Draco nodded. "Yes, probably a good idea to do so. Do….. do you want company?" he asked.

Hermione chuckled and shook her head. "I'm surprised you're not sick of me by now."

Draco shrugged. "I guess I just got used to you, Granger," he said with a smirk.

Hermione smirked back. "I suppose I've gotten used to you as well."

Draco offered his elbow. "Shall we go? I'll escort you home, help you put away some of the baby things, then after a bite to eat, we come back to be with our son for a bit?"

Hermione smiled, linking her elbow with his. "I couldn't think of anything better I'd rather do."

* * *

 _ **Mostly a filler chapter with some sweet spots. I'm trying not to make Hermione too emotional, as thats not really her style, but she DID just have a baby and her hormones are all over the place.  
As usual, lots of thanks to SweetLittleBullet for beta-ing for me! **_


	23. Chapter 23

_**A/N: I apologize for the long wait - we've been busy visiting family and family visiting us. We have more coming to visit in a few days, then we're taking the kids to Disneyland for three at the end of July/Beginning of August. So, updates might be on pause for a while as my head isn't in the mindset to write at the moment (too many things going on). If I end up writing another chapter, I promise to post though!**_  
 _ **I hope you enjoy the chapter.**_  
 _ **Lot's of thanks for Sweet Little Bullet for helping me with this chapter (both as alpha and beta). Couldn't have pushed through without her! ~HufflepuffMommy**_

* * *

Seeing as how Hermione was on maternity leave and Draco didn't have a job to go to, the two of them found themselves in the NICU together every day. When Healer Frost suggested that they try feeding Finn with a syringe instead of the tube, they were ecstatic; it meant he was that much closer to coming home.

It was challenging for all parties at first; Finn wasn't necessarily sure what to do with that plastic thing near his mouth and fussed a bit until a drop of milk landed on his lips and he realized what it was. His mouth searched hungrily for more and even opened his eyes a bit to do so. He had opened them before, but never for long and no one could really tell what colour they were. This time though, they seemed to be a deep, dark blue.

"It can still change either way," Hermione said. "I read in a book that a child's eye colour can fluctuate up until they are two."

"They're going to be blue," Draco said. "He already has the Malfoy hair."

"Which _means_ he could inherit something from my gene pool as well," she quipped back.

"Doubtful," Draco said playfully as he filled the syringe with milk again and put it to his son's lips. Hermione cradled him and lifted up slightly with her elbow.

"That's my big boy," Draco said softly as his son gulped the milk down. When the syringe was empty, she lifted the baby to her shoulder and patted his back, eliciting a small belch from the infant.

"Yup, definitely a Malfoy," she teased.

Draco glared at her but without any malice behind it. "Give me my son, witch."

Hermione chuckled as she handed Finn over to his father then took the syringe, setting it aside. Draco cradled him in his arms then looked up at Hermione. "Did you want to try to give him more?"

She shook her head. "He's had a lot already; I don't want to overfeed him. Remember what Frost said? His stomach is only about the size of his small fist."

Draco lifted his son's tiny hand, the palm of it smaller than his thumb, and frowned. "That's not very much."

"I know, but, as he gets bigger, so will his stomach," she said reassuringly, then looked up and smiled at someone behind Draco. "Good afternoon."

Healer Frost walked over to them and smiled. "Good afternoon you two. How is Finn doing with the syringe feeding?"

"He's doing really well. Had about two syringes full," Hermione supplied.

"Excellent!" the Healer beamed. "We'll keep that up and maybe in the next week, we'll have you start nursing him and see how he handles that."

"I'm looking forward to it," Hermione said with a nod.

They chatted for a bit more, then the Healer left them to attend another family.

"I can't believe it's been a week already," Hermione said, reaching out and running her fingers along the side of her son's head.

"It's gone by quickly," Draco agreed.

"But not quick enough. I can't wait to take him home. Have our friends and family meet him in person, rather than through pictures."

Draco nodded in agreement. He had gotten the pictures he took returned from Harry and framed one of them while putting the others in a small book. Now, whenever they visit, they took a few pictures each day to add to the book and show it to friends and family.

"Mother wants to throw a small party once he's home, so everyone can meet him. Plus, I think she's a little put out that she didn't get to throw you the surprise baby shower she was planning."

Hermione's eyes widened. "She was planning a baby shower for me?"

Draco simply nodded.

Touched, Hermione smiled softly. "I suppose it would be rude to say no to a party for Finn. We'll just have to use the sanitation spell on the guests; don't want to take any chances."

"Make sure to hit Weasley with it a few times, just in case," Draco said flippantly and Hermione smacked his shoulder lightly, suppressing the urge to laugh.

* * *

Later that evening, Draco walked into his bedroom of the manor and found a note for him upon his bed.

 _Come find me in the library_

Folding his mother's note and tossing it in the rubbish bin on the way out of his room, Draco walked down the halls until he reached the double doors of the library. He found his mother in her favorite chair, reading a book by the fireplace.

"Good evening Mother," Draco said as he took a seat opposite her.

Narcissa closed her book and smiled at her son. "Good evening, Draco. How is Phineas doing?"

Draco couldn't stop the smile that formed on his lips. "He's doing good. Gaining weight and they took the feeding tube out. He's now taking milk from a syringe and, hopefully, next week can nurse from Hermione."

"So he'll be home soon?" she asked with a smile.

"Hopefully in two weeks. Maybe less," Draco confirmed.

"Have you and Miss Granger talked about what will happen once he's out of the hospital? As far as visitation I mean?"

"We have. We agreed to keep the weekly dinners at the manor and I'll spend weekends over at her place until he's old enough to come here by himself. She also said I can come over whenever I want to see him, and she extended that invitation to you as well."

Narcissa beamed. "That is very sweet of her." She shifted in her seat, and Draco could tell his mother wanted to ask something.

"Is there something else on your mind, Mother?" he asked, amused.

"Well dear, I was just wondering," she leaned forward slightly and gave her son a serious look. "Do you have feelings for Miss. Granger?"

Draco sighed irritatedly. "Mother, I've told you before, the feelings I have for Hermione are strictly platonic."

"Ok, well, just making sure," she said flippantly, picking up her book again and opening it.

Draco knew she was baiting him and, dammit, it was working.

"Why do you want to make sure?" he asked, glaring slightly at his mother.

"Oh, no real reason, I was just curious," she said offhandedly.

Draco knew better and continued to glare.

"One of my close friends, you remember Clarisse Greengrass, yes? She has two daughters-"

 _Ah_ , he thought, _there it was._

"-and they have been traveling abroad and plan to continue to do so for another few months. But when they get back, well, she was wondering if you'd be interested-"

"I'm not," he interrupted firmly.

"You didn't even let me finish," she said, raising a delicate eyebrow at him.

"There's no need," he bit out angrily and stood up. "I _just_ became a father a week ago. The last thing on my mind right now, and probably for the foreseeable future, is dating some pureblood, money-hungry, twat-"

"Draco!" his mother reprimanded, slamming her book shut. "The Greengrass girls are a very nice-"

"Mother," Draco said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. When he opened them again, his mother was staring at him, waiting. "I appreciate the thought, but please tell Mrs. Greengrass that I am not interested in dating anyone at the moment. My focus is on my child, nothing more."

Narcissa held up her hands in defeat. "Alright, if that's your choice, then I will pass along the message. But, when you are ready to start dating-"

"Then _I_ will choose who I will or will not date," he said firmly, then softened his tone when his mother looked away, obviously hurt. He sighed, taking his seat again and reached out to grab her hand. "I know you're only looking out for my well being, and I appreciate that, I do. But, any relationships I have should up to _me_ , not anyone else."

Narcissa sighed and squeezed her son's hand. "Yes, alright. Am I allowed to even suggest any eligible women at least?"

Draco smirked. "Suggestions are fine. No set ups, no blind dates though."

"You really take the fun out of being a mother sometimes," she said, pouting slightly.

Draco smiled. "Well, with your newly found free time, you can focus on more important things. Like, being a grandmother."

Narcissa smiled at that and nodded once. "I do believe that is an _excellent_ idea."

* * *

The rest of the week went by both fast and agonizingly slow. Finn was doing so well with the syringe feeding that he was able to graduate to breastfeeding sooner than they anticipated. There were issues at first; first with his latching and another with him getting impatient for the milk to come out (since he was used to the fast supply with the syringe). In the end though, he got it down and Hermione couldn't be happier (if not a bit sore). He was gaining weight and controlling his body temperature far ahead than any expected, so it came as a surprise when Healer Frost wanted to talk to Hermione and Draco in her office before going to see Finn.

Unsure what this impromptu meeting was about, Hermione sat down in the seat provided, her leg bouncing up and down nervously. Draco, while also nervous, cooled his features so that one would think he was feeling completely fine.

"So, I'm sure you are wondering why I wanted to talk to you. It's about Finn-"

"Is he alright? Did something happen after we left?" Hermione asked.

The healer smiled and shook her head. "Nothing of the sort. Finn is doing wonderful. So wonderful in fact, that I think it's time he leaves the NICU."

"You mean… he can come home?" Hermione croaked out happily, her hand reaching for Draco's and squeezing it in excitement.

"Yes," the healer confirmed.

"When?" asked Draco.

Frost gave him a cheeky grin. "Is today alright with you?"

Hermione let out a tiny gasp, her hand coming to her mouth. "Really? Today?" Her eyes started to tear up.

Healer Frost handed Hermione a tissue box. "Really. We just need to make sure he's all ready to go and then you can take him home."

The three adults stood and Hermione went over to the Healer and enveloped her in a hug. "Thank you for everything," she said to her.

Healer Frost hugged back. "It was my pleasure. He really is a sweet and strong boy."

When Hermione finally let her go, Draco stuck out his hand. "I wanted to say thank you as well. Your team here has a flawless system and you all work hard. As thanks for taking care of my son these last few weeks, I'd like to donate something to the NICU department, from Finn."

Healer Frost smiled. "Thank you Mister Malfoy, that is very generous of you."

They walked out of the healer's office and down the hall to the NICU. They did the process of sanitizing before going into the main area, walking towards the back where Finn's cot was located. He was awake, chewing on his fist and looking around. With a nod from the healer, Hermione reached in and took him out, bouncing him slightly as he settled in her arms.

"Hello, my sweet boy. Are you ready to go home?" she asked as she kissed the top of his head. He rubbed his face against her chest and settled into her comfortably. She looked up at the healer again. "Do we just… leave?"

"We need to have you sign some paperwork before he's released and we'll give you a pamphlet of instructions incase anything arises in the next few days. You'll also set up a check up appointment for two weeks from now, just to make sure he's growing and doing well."

Hermione nodded and Draco led the way to where the Healer motioned so they could sign the paperwork.

Once everything was settled, the baby's belongings given to them to take home (blankets, a nose aspirator, and a little hat), the family of three made their way to the entrance of St. Mungo's.

When they got near the floo, Hermione stopped and looked up Draco. "Do we…. Can we bring a baby through the floo? I never thought to ask... I won't apparate with him either. Maybe we can go back and ask-"

"Hermione," he said with a small smile. "It's alright. I asked a few weeks ago and they said that traveling by floo is perfectly safe, but if we wish to put a blanket over him, just in case, we can do so."

Hermione nodded, looking relieved. They pulled out a blanket from the box of items and draped it over the sleeping infant who was still nestled in Hermione's arms.

Draco went first, followed by Hermione, and was pleased to note that Finn slept through the speedy travel by fireplace.

Once in her flat, Hermione looked around nervously. "I... I guess I should put him in his cot."

Draco nodded and watched as Hermione walked to the nursery, returning a moment later without the baby.

"So…" she began, moving some stray hair to behind her ear. "Did you want to stay a bit? Or did you have other plans?"

Draco shook his head. "No plans. I thought I was going to be at the hospital for a few hours so I'm basically free for a while."

"Oh, ok. Would you like some tea?" she offered, heading to the kitchen.

He followed as he answered, "Yes, please."

She made their tea then the two of them went back to the living room, flipped on the telly to watch a show until Finn started fussing from the other room.

One nappy change and feeding later, Finn was laying on the couch between his parents, kicking his feet against the cushions and chewing on his fist.

Draco couldn't take his eyes off of his son and smiled whenever he let out even the smallest of gurgles. He glanced over at Hermione who was resting her head on the side of the couch, looking down at Finn, and it seemed like she was fighting to keep her eyes open.

"If you need a little kip, I can watch him for a bit," he offered.

She looked up at him, slightly surprised. "Are you sure?"

Draco picked up his son and kissed the top of his head out of habit before cradling him. "Yes. Go rest, we'll be here when you get up."

"Well... alright. But if he starts to fuss-"

"I'll check his nappy first and if he's still wailing, I'll bring him to you to feed," he said knowingly.

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Alright then." She leaned over and kissed her son's cheek then let out a yawn as she stood up, heading to her bedroom.

Draco repositioned Finn on his lap then grabbed the remote control for the telly.

"Alright little guy, let's introduce you to this amazing sport I recently discovered… football. It's no Quidditch, but it'll do."

* * *

When Hermione woke a few hours later, her breasts tingling with the need to nurse, she walked into her living room to find both father and son asleep on the couch. As she neared, Finn started to fuss and she knew it was time to feed him. Draco opened his eyes as she carefully took Finn from his arms and gave her a sleepy, questioning look.

"I need to feed him," she said quietly.

He nodded and sat up once the baby was out of his arms and watched as Hermione expertly latched her son and began nursing him.

"Did you want to stay for dinner?" she asked.

He shook his head regretfully. "As much as I would love to spend more time with him, I need to head back to the manor and give Mother an update. Fair warning that she'll probably come over tomorrow to see him."

Hermione smiled. "I expected that. Anytime after 8 should work for me. I plan to owl a few people tonight to let them know that he's home and they can come by to visit as well."

Draco stood. "Alright, sounds good. So.. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Hermione nodded as Finn finished eating, lifting him to her shoulder as she burped him. "Yes, tomorrow."

When the baby let out a tiny burp, and let out a content sigh, Hermione got up and walked over to Draco, who bent over and kissed Finn's head. "By little man. Be good for your mum."

He looked up and met Hermione's eyes. "Goodnight Hermione."

"Goodnight, Draco."

When Draco was back in his own room, an emptiness inside of him started to form. He had been ok when he had to leave the NICU for the night... But now... Knowing his son was home, and he wasn't there, made him feel awful.

He rubbed his chest absently as he looked around his room. First things first, he needed to talk to his mother. Then, he was going to figure out what to do about this emptiness in his chest.


	24. Chapter 24

_**A/N: I apologize for the radio silence, my dear readers! I've been spending time with family and going to cool places like Zion National Park to hike the Narrows, The Grand Canyon, and finally Disneyland for three fun-filled, yet exhausting, days! My husband was also getting ready to leave for training for his new job and we won't see him again until Thanksgiving. He left today though so I am hoping to be able to start more writing again.**_

 _ **This chapter was written a little while ago and I didn't want to post it until I wrote more into the next one, but you all have been so patient with me that I decided to give this to you all now. I hope you enjoy all the cuteness! ~HufflepuffMommy**_

* * *

The first night with Finn at home was rough. Hermione never really knew how many times he woke to feed during the night at the hospital, which was apparently every two hours. It was nearly seven in the morning and she had just gotten Finn back to sleep after being awake for over an hour for about fourth time that night.

She made her way, bleary eyed towards her room, when someone knocked on her front door.

Groaning, and wondering who in Merlin's name would be over this early in the morning, she switched directions and walked towards the knocking sound.

With a yawn, she opened the door, then gasped when she saw who was there.

"Mum? Dad?" she said disbelievingly.

Her mother's eyes welled with tears as she grabbed Hermione and pulled her in for a hug, squeezing. Her father joined and the three of them huddled together at the threshold until Hermione finally pried herself away to usher them inside.

"When did you get back from Australia?" she asked.

"Late last night. We wanted to come over then, but, we weren't sure if you were home or at the hospital, or even asleep. Though by the looks of it, it seems you didn't get a lot of sleep anyways," her father said curiously.

Hermione smiled tiredly. "Finn's home actually. Last night was his first night here and he was up every few hours." She yawned again into the back of her hand.

Her mother smiled and hugged her daughter again. "Welcome to motherhood, my dear."

Hermione smiled back and looked between her mother and father. Her smile faltered as she realized there was a huge hippogryph in the room.

"I... I suppose we need to talk about why I did what I did?" she said.

Her mother shook her head. "No, there's no need. Your father and I, well, we talked it over while we were packing and settling things in Australia. From what Mr. Malfoy told us, you saved our lives, and while we were mad that you used magic on us without our permission, we also understood why you did what you did."

"Your mother's right," her father said, stepping up and gathering her into a hug. "We love you, our little moon. Thank you for keeping us safe."

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and willed the tears away. She breathed in her father's scent; sandalwood and rain; then kissed his cheek.

"You have no idea how much that means to me," she said, then chuckled as she wiped away the tears that started spilling. "Sorry, I was trying not to cry but my hormones are all out of whack and I've missed you both so, _so_ much and the weight of guilt I have been carrying is finally lifted and I'm just _so_ tired-"

"Shh shh," her mother said, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "Why don't you go back to bed? We'll get the baby when he wakes up."

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Do you want to go see him now?"

Her mother and father's eyes both lit up and she knew their answer. Wordlessly, she beckoned them to follow her towards the nursery.

The room was dark with the curtains shut, but with the tiny glow of the nightlight in the room, they could see the baby sleeping in his cot.

"Oh Hermione, he's gorgeous," his mother whispered while lovingly looking at her grandson.

"I think he has my nose," her father whispered as well.

Hermione smiled and shook her head at her father but didn't say anything as the three of them continued to watch the sleeping infant. After another yawn, Hermione's parents shooed her out of the room to go back to bed and she didn't need to be told twice.

As she settled back into bed, a sleepy smile spread across her face. She was happy her parents were finally back and even happier that they had forgiven her, and with a content sigh, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

She woke to the smell of bacon and eggs and her stomach rumbled hungrily. Groggily, she looked over at the clock and noted that it was nearly ten in the morning. Surprised she slept as long as she did, and even more so that Finn hadn't been wailing to eat, she slipped out of bed and made her way to the front of the house and towards the kitchen.

The site before her was one she'd cherish forever.

Her mother was at the stove, laughing at something someone said. Her father was cradling Finn in his arms, making faces at him. And Draco, to her surprise, was sitting at the table, drinking hot coffee as he talked with her parents. It wasn't until he turned his head and found her watching, that she finally snapped out of her moment and entered the kitchen.

"Ah, Sleeping Beauty is finally awake," her father said teasingly. "Feeling better?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes. I feel much better now. How's Finn been doing?"

"Oh he's been just fine, haven't you little guy?" her father coo'd.

"He woke up about an hour ago. We changed his nappy and have been so busy showering him with love that he hasn't fussed once," her mother supplied as she dished out food onto some plates.

"I appreciate it, I really do." She looked over at Draco, gave him a smile. "Morning, Draco."

He raised a brow at her. "It's nearly afternoon, Granger," he said teasingly.

"Yes, well, some of us were up with an infant every few hours last night," she teased back, walking over to her father and kissed his cheek then the top of her son's head. As soon as she pulled away, he started to fuss.

"Looks like he realizes his mum's awake. He probably wants his breakfast," her father said.

Hermione nodded, her breasts aching slightly with the need to nurse. "Yes. I'll go feed him real quick in the living room then I'll be in the eat."

Her father handed Finn over to her and she went to make herself comfortable on the couch as she began to nurse her son. He drank hungrily, gulping the milk and she couldn't help but smile at him as he clenched his fist into her shirt as he nursed. When he had his fill and was burped, she made her way back to the kitchen, surprised to see that everyone was at the table still, their food untouched.

"You didn't have to wait for me," she said.

Draco got up from the table, holding his hands outs in offering to take Finn. She handed him over and as Draco nestled the baby into his arms, he said, "I put a stasis charm on the food so it's no big deal. We wanted to wait until you were back."

She smiled at him and then at her parents. "Thank you, that was sweet."

The four of them tucked into their meal, Draco somehow looking as if he was used to holding a sleeping baby with one hand and eating his food with the other as if he had been doing it all his life.

When breakfast was done and the table cleared, her mother shooed them out so she and her father could do dishes.

"So I just realized something," Hermione said as she and Draco make themselves comfortable on the couch.

"What's that?" he asked as he shifted Finn in his arms.

"How did my parents know where I live?" she asked, looking at him expectantly.

Draco shrugged, startling the baby in his arms by accident and kissed the top of his head in apology. "I left a note in their house with your address on it. I would have left your telephone-" he looked at her to make sure he said it right and when she nodded, he continued, "-number but I didn't know it. I also had no idea they were back until I showed up this morning. I think I scared them, coming in through the floo, but once they saw it was me, they relaxed."

He looked down at his son and smiled as Finn smirked in his sleep before looking back up to Hermione. "So last night was bad I take it?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing I couldn't manage. Now that I know how often he wakes it won't be as bad, I think."

"I can help," he offered.

Hermione smiled at him but shook her head. "Honestly, there isn't anything you can really do in the middle of the night. It's usually just a nappy change and then I nurse him until he's asleep again. Though he was awake from about 5 to 7 this morning just for fun," she said.

Draco contemplated that. "Well, then I can help out when that happens, and I can do the nappy changes."

Hermione sighed. "Draco, as much as I really appreciate it, I can't ask that of you… you'd basically be in my living room and sleeping on my couch full time. That's not fair to you."

"Actually," he casually said, "I just put in an application on the flat next to this one."

Hermione's eyes widened. "What?"

He looked at her now, gaging her reaction and noting that while she was surprised, she wasn't angry and that made him feel better. He nodded at her question. "Yes. I stopped by the building manager earlier and asked if there were any units available. He had just gotten a notice that your neighbors were moving out and I asked if I could move in. I get the keys in a week."

Hermione still looked at him, shock written all over her face. "You…. you're going to move out of your enormous manor and into a tiny flat?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"But.. why?" she asked, baffled.

"For him," he said, looking down at his son again then back up at her. "Last night I realized something; I don't like being away from Finn. Him staying at the hospital was different, but now that he's out, I just… I didn't want to be apart from him, not even for the night. I talked with my mother and we both agreed that it would be useless to offer for you to live at the manor." He looked at her questioningly and when she nodded, he knew he and mother had been correct on that assumption. "So, the only other logical solution was for _me_ to move closer. The fact that your neighbors are moving out is purely coincidental," he said with a dismissive hand gesture.

She eyed him them. "Coincidence, huh? Somehow I highly doubt that -" he smirked at that and she ignored it, continuing, "-but... I think it's a wonderful idea."

"Yeah?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound too relieved.

"Yeah," she said, nodding her head.

He smiled at her, then gestured with his head towards the wall that connected the two units. "How would you feel about a door there?"

Hermione laughed, unsure if he serious of not, and was about to ask when her parents walked back into the room. Putting the conversation on hold for now, the four adults sat around the living room, each taking turns with the baby, until well until the afternoon.

With reluctance, her parents had to leave to tend to a few things at their house and promised to stop by the next day or to call if she needed anything. With many hugs and kisses, they said their farewell and it wasn't until Hermione was relaxing on the couch again, nursing her son, that Draco casually cleared his throat. "Are you up for more company?"

Hermione looked at him questioning. "I figured we'd be getting visitors throughout the next few days now that he's home, so, yes."

"Ok good. Mother wants to come over. I had floo called her after I first got here to let her know that your parents were here and that when they left, I would tell her she can come over. Is now ok with you?"

Hermione nodded, shifting Finn to the side. "Yes. Give me about ten minutes so I can finish nursing him and change his nappy. He's been grunting while nursing which usually means he's taking a poo."

Draco wrinkled his nose but said, "I'll change him if you want."

Hermione nodded at his offer, and when she was finished up nursing her son once more, she handed him over to his father, who carried him into the nursery for a change.

"Uh, Hermione?" Draco called out a moment later. "Is it…. _supposed_ to look like this?" he asked.

Hermione chuckled and called out, "Like seedy, yellow mustard?"

"Yeah," he responded back.

"Totally normal," she said as she repositioned the pillows on the couch and used her wand to tidy up the living room a bit. She stifled a giggle as she heard him gag a bit and had to straighten her features when he came back out with a clean baby. His face still wore a hint of disgust as he dropped the soiled diaper into the garbage but seemed better once he was away from the offending item.

Once Hermione changed her clothes and brushed her hair and teeth, Draco finally floo-called Narcissa, who stepped through the fireplace within a matter of seconds. Her eyes instantly found the infant, who was currently chewing on his fist while Hermione held him.

"Oh…" the elder witch said softly as she walked over to the child, her eyes brimming with tears. "He's so beautiful. He has your hair, Draco," she said fondly.

"And my eye color," he boasted.

"That's yet to be determined," Hermione shot back at Draco who winked at her, causing her to roll her eyes before looking at Narcissa. "Would you like to hold him?"

"I thought you'd never ask," she said happily. She sat down next to Hermione and instantly melted when the baby was placed in her arms. "Hello there, my little Phineas. Hello. My, are you a handsome little man, yes you are."

As Narcissa talked sweetly to Finn, the baby cooed as if talking back to her. Hermione summoned her camera and took a few pictures, the grandmother oblivious to anything else except for the baby in her arms.

She set the camera down and announced, "If everything is alright here, I'm going to take advantage and get a shower in before he needs to nurse again, if that's ok?"

"Yes, yes, that's fine dear. We've got it, don't we? Yes we do," Narcissa said, only looking at Finn.

Hermione giggled slightly then looked over at Draco who was looking at his mother with baffled amusement. She supposed he wasn't used to seeing his mother being so sweet and open around other people and Hermione was happy that Narcissa was comfortable enough to do so around her.

She took her leave and had her shower, wondering how many more visitors they would have before the end of the day.


	25. Chapter 25

_**A/N: I don't think any amount of apologizing can make up for the lack of updates, but I really am sorry. I've been in a huge writing funk lately and I'm hoping it's starting to return. This chapter alone took me a few weeks to even get out and complete, but I'm hoping I get more into a flow soon. I hope you all like this chapter, even though it's mostly filler. I'll try my hardest to update sooner than I have been. Thank you all for your patience! ~HufflepuffMomy  
Also, Thanks to Sweet Little Bullet for reading over my chapter for me and helping me fix some errors! Love my HuffleTwin! **_

* * *

Visitors came throughout the rest of the week to visit Hermione and Finn. Many of the visitors came more than once including most of the Weasley family, Harry, Neville, Luna, and Ron (who brought along a shy Susan Bones).

The visitors that surprised Hermione the most though, were those who were from the Slytherin house. Blaise came by and brought Daphne Greengrass, who, up until this time, everyone thought was abroad with her family while things cooled down from the war. She informed them that they just returned a few days prior and were in still settling back in, but couldn't wait to visit the newest little Malfoy. She even dragged along a reluctant Pansy Parkinson, which surprised Draco to no end. He hadn't heard from the black-haired witch since the war ended and last he heard, she was in Spain.

He pulled his former girlfriend aside and crossed his arms, glaring down at her. "How long have you been back for?"

Pansy mirrored his stance, not backing down. "A month or so. Why?"

"A _month or so_? Why didn't you contact me sooner? I've been worried about you."

She shrugged. "I figured you'd want your space and not be seen with the likes of me; the girl who wanted to hand over Potter to the Dark Lord back at Hogwarts. Wouldn't be good for your newfound reputation as a cleared Death Eater and father to Granger's baby."

Draco glared. "Screw my reputation." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration before grabbing her hand and walking her over to Hermione. "Can you call Potter on that phone thing of yours and have him come over?"

"Draco no," hissed Pansy, trying to pull her hand away from his vice-like grip.

Hermione looked between the two. "Uh, sure…" she said, reaching for the receiver next to the couch.

A moment later, Harry walked through the floo and looked bewilderedly at the scene in front of him.

Hermione was sitting on the couch, with Daphne next to her, holding Finn, and Blaise next to Daphne. Hermione, though, was staring at Draco and Pansy with a frown. He looked over at the pair and saw that Pansy's face grew pale. Draco nodded in greeting. "Potter," he said, walking over to him, pulling Pansy in tow.

"Er, Malfoy. Something I can help you with?"

"No, it's fine-" started Pansy but Draco spoke over her.

"Potter do you have any grudges against Pansy?" he asked.

Harry looked between the two with a frown. "No, I don't think- Oh. Is this because of what happened at Hogwarts?"

Draco nodded while Pansy's cheeks flared red and looked away, cursing Draco under her breath while still attempting to pull her hand free.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his unruly hair. "I'll be honest; I'm surprised she was the only one. I mean, the battle would have ended hours sooner, or maybe never even started if I, or someone, had just handed me over…We wouldn't have lost so many people..." he trailed off, shaking his head to clear his mind before leveling his eyes with Pansy. "I don't blame you and I don't hold any grudges. Ok?"

Pansy stiffened next to Draco but nodded. When Harry put his hand out for her to shake, she reluctantly accepted. He gave her small hand a squeeze before letting go and turned back to Hermione. "Sorry I can't stay, I have to get going. I promised Andromeda that I'd watch Teddy in a little bit."

Hermione nodded. "Ok. Tell her to stop by anytime to see Finn, ok? She can bring Teddy too."

Harry smiled and nodded "She'd like that." He walked over, planting a kiss on Hermione's cheek then onto Finn's curly blonde head. "See you guys later." He nodded to Malfoy as he walked past to the floo, who nodded in return.

Once the flames from the floo were gone, Draco tugged Pansy over towards the couch. "So, do you want to hold your honorary nephew?"

Pansy nodded, and for the first time since she arrived, she smiled as Daphne placed the wiggling baby in her arms. Draco sat down next to her and smiled down at his son who was currently gurgling at the raven-haired witch. He glanced up towards Hermione, who was leaning forward, her elbows on her knees and her head supported by her clasped hands. A soft smile formed on her lips as she watched the group of Slytherins turn into mush as they continued to talk to and play with Finn. Her eyes found Draco's and they held for a moment before they both returned the others in the room.

When everyone had left, and Finn was down for a nap, Draco went back to the manor to pack up more things to move into the flat next to Hermione's. The previous tenants had moved out a few days prior and Draco was to receive the keys later that day. He knew he couldn't bring everything he owned from the manor, so it was a difficult task of choosing what stayed and what went with him.

"Millie!" he called out as he pondered just how many pairs of black slacks he could fit into his new place without having to use an extended charm on the closet.

A pop sounded next to him and a little voice squeaked. "Master Draco called for Millie?" she asked.

"Do you know where my mother is? I need to talk to her," he said as he pulled out two nearly identical pairs of pants.

"Missus Narcissa is in the sunroom, having tea with Miss Greengrass and young Miss Greengrass," Millie informed him.

"Oh," Draco said frowning before setting down the two pants neatly on his bed. "I didn't realize she was expecting company. Thank you, Millie, you can go resume whatever you were doing before I called you." After he heard the pop of the elf's disapparating, he combed through his closet some more before sighing. "I suppose it would be rude to not go and say hello. Though I wonder why Daph didn't mention she was coming over." He shrugged before turning on the spot and apparating just outside the room his mother was in with her guests.

Draco made sure that his appearance was in order before straightening his back and entering the room.

"Draco," said Narcissa with a smile, setting down her cup of tea. "This is certainly a surprise. I wasn't expecting you until later this evening. You remember Clarisse Greengrass, and her younger daughter, Astoria?"

Draco smiled and nodded to both women in greeting (causing a blush to spread upon the younger Greengrass features) before he turned back to his mother.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, I was just going through some of my belongings to move into the flat and I was going to ask for your assistance. However, seeing as how you have company, I'm sure I can do the task on my own."

Narcissa gestured towards Astoria. "How about Astoria helps you? I'm sure she's bored listening to us catch up on gossip."

"Oh, yes," said Mrs. Greengrass, "Astoria would love to help, right dear?"

Astoria blushed more. "Um, sure, I guess. I mean, if that's alright with you, Draco?"

Draco was about to respond when Narcissa said "Of course he doesn't mind. I'll send up a house elf when we're done, ok?"

Draco nodded curtly before offering an elbow to Astoria, who took it hesitantly before he led them out of the room.

They walked in silence up the stairs before she cleared her throat quietly. "You, um, have a lovely home."

Draco nodded once. "Thank you, though most of it is my mother's doing."

They turned down the hall and entered his bedroom. He made sure to leave the door open as they unlinked arms and he walked over to the closet. Astoria followed and they both stared at the clothes for a moment.

"So… you're moving into your own flat?" she asked.

"Yes, to be closer to my son," Draco said, taking out two shirts and inspecting them with a frown.

"Oh yes, I read about that in the Prophet," she said as she took the shirt on the left and placed it on the bed. Draco put the other shirt back in the closet and grabbed two more.

"It's admirable of you, really, to be so involved your son's life. You don't find that much within the Pureblood families anymore," she said, as she took both shirts and placed them on the bed.

Draco looked up at her, catching her eye and smiled. "Thank you," he said sincerely, causing a small smile to appear on her lips as well.

"Will you tell me about him? Of.. Phineas, right?"

Draco's face lit up, "Yes, though we mostly call him Finn for short." He continued to talk while she continued to help him choose which clothing stayed and went. Once all the clothes were sorted and packed in a bag, they continued to make small talk; her of her travels with her family and him mostly of Finn or Hermione.

At one point, both mothers passed by the room, talking to each other quietly, barely paying any attention to them, though Draco knew better.

"They're probably planning our wedding," he said with a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

Astoria gave him a curious look. "Well, that's a bit presumptuous of them, considering we just met."

Draco chuckled ruefully and shook his head. "You don't know my mother…"

"Oh, I'm sure she's just like _my_ mother." She cleared her throat and raised her head a little higher and said in a voice much more sophisticated than hers, "Tori, now make sure when we return, that you find yourself a nice, pureblood boy. You don't want to be stuck with someone like Goyle now do you?"

Draco knew it was wrong, but he laughed out loud at that, causing Astoria to laugh as well. "To be fair," he said after a moment, "Goyle isn't that bad. But I understand what she means." He glanced over at her. "Are you going to go back to Hogwarts to finish school? You were a few years younger than me, right?"

"Only a year, and no," she said, shaking her head. "I'm not going back. I'm doing independent study until I can take my N.E.W.T.S. As much as I loved Hogwarts, there's too much history there."

Draco nodded and let out a sigh. "I know what you mean."

"Plus," she added, "I've been out of school for so long it would be weird to go back, and, I'll be of age in a month so it just made sense to finish my studying at home."

Draco nodded. "Sounds like you got it all figured out."

They were quiet for a moment before Mrs. Greengrass popped her head in. "Tori? Time to go sweetie."

Astoria nodded at her mother and turned her attention back to Draco, biting her lip while blushing again. "Can… would it be alright if I owled you?"

Draco smiled and offered his elbow to walk her towards the floo downstairs. "I'd like that."

When the two women were gone Draco turned to his mother who was smiling innocently at him.

"So, when do you project that you'll be planning a wedding?" he asked her.

She gave him a confused look. "Why, what on earth do you mean, Draco darling?"

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Don't ' _Draco darling_ ' me. I know you two were hoping sparks would fly."

Narcissa let out a sigh. "Well, one could hope. I take it no sparks then?"

Draco shook his head. "No. However, she is rather nice and not stuck up like most pureblood witches."

Narcissa looked hopeful. "So, maybe you can take her out a few times? Get to know her more?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "We'll see. I make no promises though. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to finish packing and get back to the flat to retrieve my keys so I can move in." He leaned over and kissed his mother on the cheek. "I'll be back in a few hours. No planning weddings yet, ok?"

She smirked at her son. "I make no promises."


	26. Chapter 26

_**Christmas is the time of giving... so I give to you, my dear readers, a new chapter! I hope you enjoy, it's pretty much a filler, fluffy, chapter.  
Beta love to my huffletwin, Sweet Little Bullet.  
~HufflepuffMommy**_

* * *

Once Draco signed the appropriate paperwork and received the keys to his newly acquired flat, the move-in process went by rather quickly (thanks to Magic). Hermione had ordered pizza for the two of them to share while Draco unpacked. While waiting for the food, Hermione made the door that was to go between the two flats, setting up charms so that muggles couldn't see it if they happen to come over.

As Draco unpacked his bedroom, Hermione sat on the floor on a blanket next to a wiggly and kicking Finn who was coo-ing at her. When the doorbell rang, Hermione got up to pay the delivery man and bring the pizza inside and when she returned to Draco's room, she saw the blond haired man laying on his back next to his son, talking softly to him. A warmth spread within her chest and she didn't realize she was smiling and staring until Draco noticed her and beckoned her in. She made herself comfortable on the floor again and the two adults ate on the blanket, with their son lying between them. Between talking with Hermione and playing with Finn's feet through his footie pajamas, Draco forgot all about Astoria.

The next morning, as Hermione groggily trudged from Finn's room into the kitchen for some much-needed coffee, she stopped suddenly in surprise and gaped at her surroundings. Her living room, which was the same as it ever was when she went to bed, was currently decorated from ceiling to floor with Christmas decorations. There was even a decorated tree in the corner of the room with presents piled underneath.

Frowning with confusion, she walked over to the door to Draco's flat and knocked, all while never taking her eyes off of the lit tree.

Draco opened the door, clearly just waking up as his hair was sticking up in all directions and he was wearing a plain white shirt and flannel green pajama bottoms. He yawned into his hand as he greeted Hermione. "Morning, everything alright?"

Hermione finally took her eyes away from the tree. "Yes, however… do you know anything about _that_?" she asked as she pointed to her living room.

Draco glanced over her shoulder then frowned. "Oh..." He then turned around and looked into his own living room, seeing it was also decorated for Christmas. "Oh…"

Finally turning back to Hermione, he gave her a sheepish grin and shrugged. "Mother loves Christmas. She must have sent a house elf over to decorate. Coffee?" he asked as he motioned for Hermione to follow him into his flat.

Hermione frowned and crossed her arms as she followed him and leaned a hip on the counter. "I appreciate your mother doing this for me, but, I wish she would have asked me first. I _do_ have my own Christmas decorations to put up."

Draco poured two cups of steaming coffee and handed one to Hermione. "She meant well. Plus, she figured you'd just been too busy to put them up and didn't want you to miss out." He took a tentative sip. "Christmas _is_ tomorrow, after all."

Hermione choked on her drink. "What?" she squeaked. "Tomorrow?"

Draco motioned to the calendar that was behind her and she looked at it wide-eyed before turning back to him. "I…. I didn't even realize. I.. I have so much to do! I need to go shopping… I have presents to buy! And dinner! I need to get things for Christmas dinner. Oh, Merlin, I can't believe I forgot and it's Finn's _first Christmas_ and.."

Draco walked over and grabbed her shoulders softly, lightly massaging them. "Calm down, Granger. We can go to Diagon Alley after breakfast and pick up some gifts. As for dinner, if you don't mind, we can always go to the Manor? I'm sure my Mother would love to throw us a huge feast. You can even invite all your Gryffindor friends if you like."

Hermione chuckled as she took a deep breath, calming under Draco's ministrations to her shoulders. "Ok. Yes. Let me go ready, write a few owls to Harry and Ron-don't make that face, you know I can't _not_ invite him- while you do the same with your Mother and your friends."

"My friends?" Draco asked, dropping his hands back to his side as he gave her a curious look.

"Well, it only seems fair. If I'm going to have my friends there, you should be able to have some of yours. Meet in my living room in a half hour? Finn should be asleep until then, giving me plenty of time to get ready."

Draco nodded. "Leave the door open and I'll get him if he wakes."

Hermione smiled and nodded as she made her way back to her flat, taking one glance look at her living room, a smile now plastered on her face, as she went and got ready for a day of Christmas shopping.

* * *

An hour later, the duo, along with a sleeping Finn who was wrapped around Hermione's body in a baby-wrap, entered Diagon Alley through the magical doorway of The Leaky Cauldron.

"Ok, so I think first up, we should check out the Quidditch supply store. I'm sure I can find something for Harry, Ron, _and_ Ginny in there," Hermione said with determination.

Draco smirked and made an 'after-you' motion, allowing Hermione to lead the way.

The door jingled as she opened it and began scanning the wares on display. "Uh…" she turned to Draco. "Would you mind helping me? I'm rubbish at anything quidditch really…"

Draco chuckled and led her to a display of broom cleaning kits.

"I got Harry one of these while at Hogwarts. I'm pretty sure he still has it... though, it's probably time he gets a new, upgraded one…" She grabbed two, one for Harry and one for Ron. "Now for Ginny… I know she wants to go professional after she takes her N.E.W.T.S. Maybe something to help with that?" she asked him.

Draco nodded, pointing to another section and the two of them browsed through many different things before Hermione decided on a new set of elbow and knee pads along with a helmet, all in a deep purple color and her initials engraved on them.

As they were in line to check out, Finn started to fuss in the wrap. She tried to calm him but his cries became more desperate and urgent and Hermione's breasts started to tingle with a sign of needing to nurse. She looked over at Draco and said "Can you take him for a moment while I pay? Then I'll feed him."

"I can pay if you want to nurse him?" he suggested, pulling out his satchel of wizard coins.

Hermione held up a hand while bouncing lightly and rubbing Finn's back. "No, I got this. They're my friends I'm buying for. Please, just take him?" she asked.

Draco nodded, pocketing his satchel into his cloak pocket as Hermione unwrapped the baby and handed the crying infant to his father.

"I'll go wait outside with him, Maybe some fresh air will calm him," he said.

Hermione nodded as she stepped up next in line, hoping this wouldn't take too long.

Five minutes later, she walked out of the store with her purchases shrunk in bags and placed them in her pocket. She looked around, trying to spot the platinum blond hair among the crowd. After craning her neck around the other shoppers, she finally spotted him standing in front of the toy store, pointing out all the fun and exciting things in the storefront window to the little bundle his arms. Finn had seemed to stopped wailing and was staring at the window as if he was understanding exactly what his father was saying. Hermione smiled as she walked over to them, noting that Draco had placed a small beanie on top of Finn's head to keep him warm.

"Showing him all the toys you're going to spoil him with, huh?" she asked as she joined them.

Draco turned to her and smirked. "Just keeping him entertained. He really enjoys watching the trains going around the track," he said, motioning with his head the train set that was an exact replica of the Hogwarts Express, complete with little puffs of smoke that streamed out every few seconds.

Hermione smiled, that was until Finn spotted her and started fussing all over again. She chuckled as she held her hands out to him. "Why don't I go feed this little guy while you pop in and pick out a present for him? Then when you're done you can take him while I pick something out?"  
"You know you can buy him a present with him around and he'd never know, right?" Draco said, handing Finn over to his mother. round

Hermione rolled his eyes. "What's the fun in that?"

Draco just chuckled as the witch walked away to find a warm spot to feed their baby. He glanced at the shop's front window again, knowing exactly what he was going to get his son, and walked in with purpose.

An hour later, with Finn asleep in the pram that Hermione had packed and shrunk down, only taking it out when needed, she and Draco were sitting inside a warm cafe, eating sandwiches and soup to warm up from the chilly weather outside.

"I hope it snows," Hermione said thoughtfully, sipping on her soup and glancing out the window. "A white Christmas for Finn's first Christmas would be, well, magical."

Draco smiled at the term and nodded in agreement. "Indeed it would. Are there any other stops you need to make today?"

Hermione shook her head. "I think I got everyone. What about you?"

Draco pondered as he took a bite of his sandwich. "I still need to get Mother something. It's hard to buy her gifts when she can just buy whatever she wants. Everyone else I wanted to get gifts for are taken care of though."

Hermione sat in thought for a moment before she brightened and looked up at Draco. "I think I have the perfect gift idea for your mother."

Draco quirked at her enthusiasm and listened attentively as she explained, a smile spreading across his face as she did indeed come up with the perfect present for Narcissa Malfoy.

* * *

Christmas morning came early for Hermione, as Finn started to wail from his cot a little after midnight. Yawning, she tiredly entered his room and quietly started making "shh-ing" sounds as she picked him up and walked over to the rocker. Once his cries stopped as he started to nurse, Hermione looked down at her little bundle and smiled. "Merry Christmas Phineas," she whispered quietly and bent over to brush a kiss on his soft, downy head.

He had just drifted off to sleep when Hermione heard a noise in her living room. Her heart pounded loud in her chest as she laid Finn down as quietly (and quickly) as she could. She walked slowly to the door and opened it a crack, trying to determine if someone was in her home. She cursed herself for leaving her wand in her bedroom, but she didn't normally need it when she was nursing the baby in the middle of the night.

She realized, however, that her flat was heavily protected with charms, done by herself, so whoever was in her flat had to be someone she knew.

She opened the door slowly until she could slip out and close it behind her before tiptoeing down the hall.

She saw someone at the foot of the tree, laying even more presents underneath it. She smiled slightly and crossed her arms as she walked in further.

"Santa Claus?" she asked teasingly. "And here I thought you were just a myth."

Draco snapped his head up in surprise and looked over at Hermione. "You weren't supposed to see me. Did I wake you?"

Hermione shook her head as she sat down on the couch while Draco continued to place wrapped box after box under the tree. "I was feeding Finn when I heard something in the living room. I knew it had to be someone I know due to the wards I have set up. But still, I had to investigate." She paused a moment as Draco laid out the next present. "Are those _all_ for Finn? You do realize he's only a few weeks old, right?"

Draco turned and smirked her way. "Not all of it is for him. There's a few in there for you as well."

Hermione's face lit up. "Really? Which one?" she asked as she moved to sit next to Draco. She started reading the labels of the gifts and was about to reach out for one with her name on it, when Draco slapped her hand playfully and _tsked_ under his breath.

"You need to wait until Christmas morning, Miss Impatient," he said.

Hermione huffed. "In case you haven't realized it, it _is_ Christmas morning."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Barely. You have to wait until at least the sun is up."

Hermione sighed and looked longingly at the gifts. "I suppose you're right."

Draco looked over at her before picking up one of the smaller gifts. "I suppose opening one wouldn't hurt."

"Really?" Hermione asked, taking the present tentatively.

Draco nodded. "Sure, let's make it a tradition."

Hermione smiled at him before looking at the presents to find one with his name on it and handed it to him. "It's only fair," she answered at his questioning look.

The two of them tore open their presents and laughed when they realized they had gotten each other nearly the same gift.

Draco had gotten Hermione an ornament that had a woman with brown hair holding a baby with blond hair. Under it said, "First Christmas as a Mum, 1998".

Hermione had gotten Draco something similar, though with a blond man holding a blond-haired son with the words "First Christmas as a Dad, 1998".

"I love it, thank you," Hermione said looking over at him.

Draco nodded and indicated to his with a soft smile. "Same here."

Hermione stood and placed her new ornament on the tree, with Draco following suit, placing his next to hers.

"Merry Christmas, Draco."

"Merry Christmas, Hermione."

* * *

 _ **I might, MIGHT, be able to squeeze in another Christmasy chapter soon. We'll see. Life is hectic right now. We just celebrated my daughters 6th birthday; we sold our house in the beginning of December and bought a house shortly after. Movers come the day after New Years. We have LOTS to do and my writing has been put on the back-burner. So, while the story isn't on hold, it IS**_ on _ **a slow update for the time being. I hope you all understand. ~HufflepuffMommy**_


	27. Chapter 27

_**I have no excuses as to why it has taken me so long to update, except for the fact that I had major writer's block.**_  
 _ **But I have a surprise for all of my readers.**_  
 _ **I have finished this story! I will update the remaining THREE chapters today and finally click the "Completed" button!**_  
 _ **I will apologize ahead of time if it feels rushed or the flow/writing seems different... after such a long time from writing, sometimes its hard to get it all to match up again.**_  
 _ **I hope you enjoy these next few chapters. Thank you all for sticking with me and waiting patiently.**_  
 _ **Much love - HufflepuffMommy**_  
 _ **PS - Special and major thanks to SweetLittleBullet for encouraging me and beta-ing for me.**_

* * *

Hermione woke to bright sunlight streaming into her bedroom a few hours after she and Draco had exchanged their gifts. She knew Finn would be waking soon so she decided to make herself a cup of coffee while she still had a chance. They had a busy day planned, visiting the Burrow, her parents, and finally Malfoy Manor. She needed all the caffeine she could get.

As she passed Finn's room, she heard Draco's voice coming from within. The door was cracked so she peered inside and saw that Draco was changing Finn's diaper and had a cute little Christmas outfit set aside that he was planning on putting on his son. She just smiled as she continued on her way to the kitchen and started up the coffee pot. She poured two cups of coffee, making sure to prepare Draco's to his liking so that when he emerged from Finn's room, it was ready for him. When she was finally presented her son, she gushed over his cute little Christmas outfit (white and green striped sleeper with a Father Christmas hat in the middle) and gave him plenty of kisses on his cheeks before sitting down at the table.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the Burrow?" Hermione asked. "Mrs. Weasley owled me three times to let me know that you're invited."

Sitting across from her, Draco set down his coffee mug on the table. "Tell her 'thank you' for the invitation, but I already have plans for this morning. I will meet you at your parent's house though if that's alright. Around one?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, that's fine. You remember where their place is?"

Draco tapped his temple. "Got it right here," he said with a smirk.

Hermione rolled her eyes and chuckled as she finished up her coffee.

Draco hung around to play with Finn while she finished getting ready. She made sure she packed enough things for her son to last all day, plus all the gifts she would be bringing along. Thankfully, a shrinking charm and her extendable bag were all she needed to get the job done.

Draco kissed the top of Finn's head then handed him back to his mother so they could go their separate ways for a few hours.

The moment Hermione stepped through the Floo, Finn was taken out of her arms and was showered with love and attention from the Weasley family. Hermione smiled and shook her head as she made her way into the kitchen to help herself to a cuppa. Mrs. Weasley came in, Finn in her arms, and smiled at her. With one arm, she gave Hermione a hug and kissed her cheek. "Happy Christmas, Dear."

"Happy Christmas, Molly," Hermione said, returning the gesture. "I'm sorry we can't stay too long today; we have such a full schedule."

Mrs. Weasley waved her off. "It's alright dear. As long as we get to see you and this little one, that's all that matters. We'll be doing gifts in a moment." Mrs. Weasley stopped and looked around. "Did Draco not come?"

Hermione shook her head. "He already had plans for this morning, but he sends his greetings and wanted me to tell you thanks for the invitation."

"Oh… well, that's alright then. I'll just send his gifts back with you, if that's ok?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes, I can take them for you. That was very sweet, getting him gifts."

"Oh, it was nothing. Nothing at all. Plus, he's Finn's father, and therefor, family... Just don't tell Ron," Mrs. Weasley said with a chuckle.

Hermione very nearly teared up but masked it with a chuckle. "Don't worry, I won't."

* * *

A few hours later, Hermione apparated to her childhood bedroom and was surprised to see her parents waiting for her in the same room.

"Mum! Dad!" she said happily, rushing forward to give them a hug, making sure not to squish Finn in the process. "Happy Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas sweetie," said her mother. "How are the Weasleys?"

"Wonderful! Though they did spoil Finn a bit, but I suppose that's going to happen with this being his first Christmas and all," she said as she unwrapped Finn from the baby wrap around her and handed him to her father's waiting arms.

As they made their way downstairs, she glanced over at the Christmas tree and saw that it was filled with presents underneath. "Oh no... not you too!" said exasperatingly.

"Well, can you really blame us?" asked her father. "I mean, he _is_ our first grandchild."

"But where am I going to put it all? My flat isn't that big…"

"Well, we figured you can leave the stuff here so that he has toys and clothes at our place," suggested her mother.

Hermione thought it over. "I suppose that would work…"

The doorbell rang and the three of the Grangers called out "It's open!"

Draco walked in with a smile and an armful of gifts and Hermione smiled in appreciation at the fact that he brought her parents something.

"Happy Christmas," he greeted them. He accepted a handshake from Mr. Granger and a hug and kiss on the cheek from Mrs. Granger before taking his son and giving him a kiss on the top of his head. He smiled at Hermione and then they sat around the tree, opening more gifts.

* * *

"Oh this is just precious!" exclaimed Narcissa as she unwrapped her present. She lifted the book from within its box and examined the cover, which was a picture of her and Finn on the front. She flipped it open and found many pictures inside, both muggle and magical, all of her and her grandson together.

"And there are blank spots in the back to add more as time goes on," Hermione said. "I enchanted it so that more pages will add automatically when you get to the last page."

Narcissa smiled as she flipped through the book, and when she reached the end she closed it up before leaning over and giving Hermione a hug. "Thank you, it is wonderful. I will cherish it forever."

Hermione smiled back then looked over at Draco, who was sitting on the sofa with a sleeping Teddy in one arm and a gurgling Finn in the other. Her stomach did a small flip at the scene and pushed the thought back about how she'd been having more and more reactions like that lately.

She looked away, going over to the tree to find another gift to open when Millie popped into the room.

"Millie wanted to inform you that Miss Greengrass is in the entry parlor," the little elf squeaked.

"Thank you, Millie, I'll go see to her," Narcissa said, standing up and existing the room.

Andromeda, who had been sitting quietly and knitting, looked at Draco. "You sure are a natural, Draco. Do you want me to take Teddy? I can go lay him down in the cot I brought."

Draco nodded and his aunt walked over and took the sleeping toddler into her arms, rocking him gently as to not wake him during the transition.

When Andromeda left, Hermione looked over at Draco. "Do you want me to take Finn as well? He looks like he's getting a little wiggily over there."

Draco shook his head and smiled down at his son. "I don't mind. After watching Teddy, I realize that soon enough, Finn will be too busy to want to be held like this, so I'm getting it in while I can."

Hermione laughed. "Smart."

Draco smiled at her and opened his mouth to say something when Narcissa returned to the room with their guest.

"Astoria?" Draco said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Astoria looked at him nervously, then glanced at Hermione and blushed. "Um, well, I brought you a gift." She held up a small gift bag as to confirm her statement.

"Oh..." he said. He looked between Astoria and his mother. "That was very kind of you, but I'm afraid-"

"Draco dear, I found the gift you got for her and put it under the tree," Narcissa interrupted eloquently. She then turned her attention to the young girl. "He was fretting earlier when he couldn't find it, but thankfully it was just buried under all of Finn's gifts."

She turned back to Draco and gently took Finn from her son's arms and ignored his questioning frown. "Darling, why don't you go get it for her? It's right there, the light green and silver one."

Draco glanced at Hermione who shrugged and looked just as confused. Resigning to his mother's antics, he got up and found the gift she was referring to. He turned to Astoria and handed her the gift. "I hope you like it," he said.

Astoria blushed again as everyone was watching the exchange. "Thank you. Here's yours," she said, handing Draco his gift bag. "Um, I should get going, I didn't mean to interrupt anything…"

"Oh, it was no bother at all," Narcissa said. "Draco, why don't you go see young Miss Greengrass to the floo?"

"Yes, mother," he said.

When the two left the room, Hermione looked at Narcissa. "Who was that?" she asked.

"Oh, just a friend of ours. I think she's smitten with Draco. Wouldn't you agree?" she asked, all while making smiling faces at her grandson, causing him to giggle.

"Yes, seems like it…" Hermione said quietly. "Excuse me, I need to use the loo."

Andromeda walked back in and passed Hermione in the process; she had seen Draco leave the room with another girl a moment before as well.

She eyed her sister. "I see you're up to your usual schemes, Cissy."

"I have no idea what you're referring too, dear sister," Narcissa responded, cuddling her grandson.

Andromeda made a noncomental noise and went back to her knitting.

If there was one thing she learned while growing up with her sister, it was to never go in the way of one of her plans.

Hermione didn't understand what came over her, but as soon as the bathroom door closed behind her, she started to cry. "Stupid hormones," she berated herself. "It's not like we're together or anything… he's perfectly allowed to date anyone he wants." She splashed some water on her face, glanced at the mirror to make sure she looked presentable, and then exited.

On the way back to the room, she happened to pass by the entry parlor where Draco and Astoria were still talking. It seemed as if they had opened their gifts from each other and were in a middle of a conversation.

"...Only if you're not busy," she heard Astoria rush out. "I wasn't sure if you had plans with Hermione or not…"

"Not necessarily, no. I'll think about it and get back to you," Draco answered. "Have a Happy Christmas, Astoria."

"You too, Draco."

Hermione heard the roar of the fire followed by Draco sighing. She walked into the room and cleared her throat, making Draco look up at her.

"Spying now, Granger?" he asked.

"No, I was just on my way back from the loo and heard something, so I came to see what it was," she said as they both started walking back to the room where the rest of the family was. "Planning a date?" she asked absently.

"No," he said a bit too quickly, then muttered to himself while running a hand through his hair. "I mean, I'm not sure." He sighed with frustration. "She invited me over to the celebrate the New Year next week."

"Oh…" said Hermione. Truth be told, she had hoped the three of them would stay in and watch movies and ring in the New Year together, but, as she reminded herself again, they weren't a couple and he wasn't obligated. "I think it's a wonderful idea."

He looked at her curiously. "You do? Why?"

Hermione shrugged. "She's cute, single, and a pureblood…" she avoided his stare. "I don't see why you _wouldn't_ go."

He walked in silence next to her for a moment.

She secretly hoped he would decline.

"Well, I guess I'll owl her then," he said finally.

Hermione's heart sank, but she plastered on a smile as she walked into the room with Narcissa and Andromeda and continued where they left off with opening their gifts.

Thankfully, after the long day she had had, no one questioned her when she told everyone she was knackered and needed to get herself and Finn home and tucked into bed.

Draco walked her and Finn to the floo. "I'll be by later. I need to talk with my mother for a bit," he said, a bit too calmly for how he was feeling.

"That's fine. We'll probably be asleep anyway so we'll see you tomorrow," she said.

Draco nodded and kissed Finn, telling him to have sweet dreams of dragons and broomsticks, as he does every night, then bid Hermione farewell with a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Happy Christmas. Sleep well."

Hermione's throat tightened up with emotion so all she was able to do was nod as she took her baby and stepped through the floo into her flat.

She closed off her floo, locked the door between her and Draco's flats, and proceeded the nightly routine of getting Finn ready for bed. She resolved to put some distance between her and Draco starting the next day and felt good about her decision.

Even if it did break her heart.


	28. Chapter 28

Spacing herself from Draco was harder than she imagined.

It didn't help that they had a door that connected their flats; it didn't help that they were so used to being in each others places that it was easy for him to just come into hers and sit on her couch to talk; and it didn't help that he wanted to spend as much as possible with Finn, who mainly resided in her flat. A few times, she told him that she was tired and needed a kip, or busy with something else, but he was encouraged to take Finn to his place. At times, she actually napped, but mostly, she worked on paperwork as she had owled Kingsley to send some her way. She wasn't quite ready to leave Finn all day, but a few hours of work to keep her mind occupied would help.

Or so she hoped.

She was sitting at her kitchen table, reading over some work, when she heard Draco enter her flat with a crying Finn. She set her quill aside as Draco entered her kitchen.

"I think the tyke is hungry," he said as he handed Finn over. "I knew you were working but nothing I did was making him happy. Sorry."

"It's fine," she said as she latched Finn to her breast. She avoided eye contact with Draco and began reading again.

He stood in her kitchen and watched her, hands in his pockets.

"Is everything alright, Hermione?" he asked. "Are you avoiding me?"

She looked up at him and frowned. "Everything's fine," she lied.

"Really? Because it seemed that ever since Christmas, you've been distant," he said as he sat down in a chair. "We usually spend our days together with Finn but this past week you've just been handing him off."

"It's nothing, Draco. I've just been trying to get into a work mindset. I figured you wouldn't mind some alone time with Finn."

"Of course I don't mind," he said, getting annoyed with her. "That's not the point. The point I'm trying to make is that you've been avoiding me and I want to know why."

"I'm not avoiding you," she said through gritted teeth. Finn was falling asleep while nursing and she didn't want to raise her voice too loudly. "I just think it's good for both of us to spend some time apart is all."

"Why?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I just think we should, ok? Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to put Finn in his room."

She got up and walked towards the nursery, Draco following close behind. He watched as she gently placed their son in his cot. When she looked up and noticed that Draco was watching her, she rolled her eyes and walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

"Why do you insist on bothering me? Don't you have a date to get ready for?" she whispered, perhaps a bit too harshly.

Draco narrowed his eyes at her. "Is that what this is about? Because Astoria invited me over for New Year's Eve?"

She bit her lip and walked towards her living room.

"Hermione!" he whispered-yelled, following her. He grabbed her arm and spun her to face him. "Is _that_ what this is about?"

She yanked her arm free from him and crossed them in front of her. "No, Draco. It's not. I could care less if you go be with Astoria for New Year's Eve."

He eyed her as she walked around the living room, picking up toys and fluffing the couch pillows a bit too roughly. "Then why are you acting like a bitch right now?"

Hermione's mouth dropped open as she dropped the pillow in her hand onto the floor. " _Excuse_ me?!"

"You heard me," he said, walking towards her. "You've been pushing me away all week and now you're acting as if _I'm_ the one avoiding _you_. Make up your mind Granger; either you want me around or you don't."

Hermione glared at him all the while fighting back tears. "I don't."

Draco's face hardened. "Fine. Give Finn a kiss goodnight for me. I'll come by tomorrow to see him."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Draco walked over to the door to his flat and shut the door sharply.

Hermione picked up the pillow from the floor and threw it at Draco's door in a fit of rage.

"UGH!" she yelled to no one in particular.

She slumped down onto the sofa, then cursed to herself as she heard Finn fussing in the other room. Her and Draco's fight had woke up the baby.

* * *

Draco grumbled to himself the rest of the day, muttering things about "stupid, stubborn witches" and "confusing as all hell."

He really didn't understand why Hermione was acting the way she was.

He had a fleeting moment where he was about to ask if her monthly cycle had returned, but he quite liked having his manhood intact and dared not to speak the question out loud.

He thought maybe she was jealous that Astoria asked him to come over for New Year's Eve, but that was ridiculous. It wasn't like Hermione wanted to be in an actual relationship with him.

Draco groaned in frustration.

If he was honest with himself, there had been times when he thought of the same thing. And why wouldn't he? She was smart, witty, an incredible mother, and she was looking sexier by the day. (His dreams really focused in on that). He caught himself multiple times inching his hand towards hers to hold it, or leaning in to kiss. He didn't dare though; he didn't want to ruin the good thing they had going with their parenting Finn.

He also wasn't sure if she'd even want to be in a relationship, especially with him because of what happened during the war.

He glanced at the clock and sighed to himself.

"Enough thinking about Granger," he said to no one in particular. He had a party to get ready for.

* * *

Draco tried to have a good time at the party; he _should_ be having a good time. He was surrounded by his childhood friends and everyone was celebrating the upcoming New Year. There really should be no reason as to why he was brooding in an armchair by the fire, nursing a Firewhiskey.

He just couldn't help but think about Hermione.

How she was acting so _stupid_.

How she was probably at home, reading some _stupid_ book.

How she was all alone, probably thinking _stupid_ things about him

With a frown permanently etched onto his forehead, he downed his Firewhiskey.

"There you are," said a voice behind him.

He turned and saw Astoria as she leaned a hip against the armchair and handed him a new tumbler of the amber colored liquid. He mustered up a smile and accepted the drink. "Thanks," he said before he took a sip. "The party is great."

She watched as he turned his attention back to the fire.

"Is everything ok?" she asked. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and squeezed it.

He looked up at her, noting the genuine concern in her eyes.

Draco nodded, taking another sip. "I just have a few things on my mind is all."

"Let me guess," she said as she conjured up another chair and sat down next to him. "Hermione?"

He was going to deny it, but the words just tumbled out of his mouth. "She's just being acting odd and practically avoiding me, but treating me as if I'm the one who did something wrong by coming out here tonight."

"I see…" Astoria said.

"She's just so… bossy and presumptuous. Always has her nose stuck in a book and-"

"And you're in love with her," she said matter-of-factly.

"What?" he said, looking at her with confusion. "No, I'm not. I mean, I care about her, yes. She's the mother to my child. And sure, she's not all bad…. She's plenty smart, even witty at times. She's a bit too hard on herself though and puts too much pressure on her shoulders as well. And-"

"You're in love with her," Astoria said again.

He opened his mouth to deny it, but she gave him a pointed look.

He leaned back into the chair and thought about the past year.

He realized he spent almost every day thinking about Hermione Granger.

First, because of what happened between them at the manor and wondering how she was doing.

Then because of the pregnancy.

And now, he not only thought about her on a daily basis, but he saw her daily too.

But… that doesn't mean he's in love with her… Does it?

He thought about how pretty she'd become since Hogwarts. How she could hold an intelligent conversation with him unlike most other girls. He thought about how she was loving and caring for Finn, no matter how the circumstances of how he was conceived.

Finally, he thought about having a life without Hermione part of it and he realized... He didn't want to be in that world.

He wanted Hermione Granger.

But did she want him?

His mind raced as he stood up abruptly. He glanced at Astoria and started to apologize.

She held up a hand to stop him. "It's fine. Go to her."

He gave her a grateful smile before grabbing some Floo powder on the mantel.

"Happy New Year, Draco," she said to the green flames that had already engulfed him.

He landed in his own flat, not knowing if hers was open at this time of hour.

He glanced at the clock. Five minutes until midnight.

She was probably asleep… but he didn't care. He needed to talk to her.

He went to the door between their flats and tried to open it, but found it locked. Cursing, he pounded on the door.

* * *

Hermione should have been asleep; she knew Finn would be up in a few hours, but she didn't care. She wanted to look out from her balcony and watch the various people celebrating in the streets. She smiled sadly to herself as she watched a couple stop and kiss under a lamplight. Her heart ached and wished she had that.

She took a sip of the one glass of wine she had allowed herself to have when she thought she heard her name being called behind her.

She opened the sliding door and heard pounding from the otherside of the door of Draco's flat.

Confused, Hermione set down her glass of wine on the coffee table as she walked over to the door, hearing Draco yell her name.

He was mid-knock when she opened the door. "Draco? What are you doing here? Why aren't you at Astoria's party?"

"Screw Astoria's party," he said, as he walked into her flat, closing the door behind him. "I needed to see you."

"You… you did?" she asked, taking a step back as he took a step forward.

"Yes, I did. I finally figured it out."

"Figured what out?" She took a step back.

"Why you've been acting the way you have." He took a step forward.

"Oh really?" she asked hautilly, this time standing her ground and not moving. "And that would be?"

He stepped closer, so close that she had to look up at him and their chests were barely a hair's breadth away. "You're in love with me."

She started to sputter; to deny it, but he closed the gap between them and pulled her close, rendering her speechless.

"It's ok," he said softly now. "Because I'm in love with you too."

"You… you are?" she whispered.

Outside, she could hear people starting to count down.

 _Five_!

"Yes. I have been for awhile, I just didn't realize it."

 _Four_!

She nibbled on her bottom lip. "I have too. I just didn't want to ruin what we had."

 _Three_!

He reached up with his thumb and stilled her movements, rubbing her lip softly. "I don't either."

 _Two_.

"Draco…"

One!

As the people outside cheered for the New year, Hermione and Draco shared their first kiss.

It was soft and sweet.

They pulled apart and smiled at one another before Draco lifted her up and kissed her harder, deeper, faster. Her legs wrapped around his middle and held on tight for the ride.

The fire within them finally roared to life and they felt as if they had months to make up for.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Wiltshire, Narcissa was sitting by the fire, sipping her nightly tea, when she heard a tapping sound at the window. She got up to let the owl in and retrieve the letter tied to it's leg.

The message inside was simple and was the best present she could have asked for.

 _Worked like a charm._

 _Happy New Year!_

 _-A.G._


	29. Epilogue

_**This is it! The final chapter and now this story is complete! Thank you for sticking with me and waited. I truly can't express how much it means to me 3**_  
 _ **Much love to my beta and HuffleBestie, SweetLittleBullet. Couldn't do it without you!**_

* * *

They took things slow. They didn't want to risk ruining anything, especially because Finn, while only a baby still, would be affected of the outcome if things went sour.

The night of their first kiss was spent talking and snogging on the couch until it was nearly 3 in the morning and Finn woke up for his nightly feeding.

She nursed Finn in bed, Draco lying beside her, and they continued talking softly until they eventually fell asleep.

Draco asked Hermione out for the first time on New Year's day, complete with a bouquet of lilies and a box of dark chocolates. Narcissa accepted (with controlled glee) to watch Finn while Draco wined and dined Hermione Granger, openly; publicly.

The papers had a field day.

They didn't care though. They smiled at the articles and even framed a picture where Draco had leaned over the table to kiss Hermione.

They still kept their separate flats, though Draco practically moved into Hermione's.

It wasn't until a month later that Hermione's parents offered to take Finn for one of their date nights and they both felt it was time to try things out in the bedroom.

It went disastrously.

Apparently, seeing Draco hovering over her brought on flashbacks of the night at the manor.

Hermione cried into his shoulder, while they both apologized to each other.

He held her the rest of the night while they slept.

Hermione went back to therapy.

Another month later, they made love for the first time.

A week after that, Draco asked Hermione for her and Finn to move into a place together; just the three of them. Not at the manor, not in either of their current flats (which was starting to feel cramped), but into their own special place.

Draco had been working on expanding the Malfoy business by making more magical apartment buildings and homes within London. The first building done had a penthouse suite that he wanted to make theirs. It boasted of four bedrooms, a large kitchen and family room, plus an outdoor space for Finn to run around - once he learned how to walk that is.

Months went by and their relationship only blossomed.

Yes, they argued at times, as most couples do, but nothing they couldn't talk over later (once they had cooled down) and make up with long kisses, hitched breaths, and whispers of love.

The year seemed to fly by and before they knew it, they were celebrating Finn's first birthday.

"A whole year, I simply cannot believe it," gushed Mrs. Weasley.

They had invited all their friends and family over to their flat and held the party outdoors, thanks to warming charms to keep out the crisp November air.

"I know," Hermione agreed as she watched Finn toddle around the yard, shaking the balloon that was tied with string around his hand. "He was so little then."

"You wouldn't have known that now though," Ginny chuckled as he watched Harry catch Finn and lift him in the air, his chubby legs kicking with delight.

Hermione laughed at the scene and then smiled wider when she saw Draco go over to Harry and the two men talked and laughed together.

"So…" Ginny started as Mrs. Weasley walked off to find her husband. "Any hints on to when he's going to ask you to marry him?"

Hermione smiled and shook her head at her friend. "You know I don't care about that sort of thing. We live together, we have a family together, why do we need a marriage to tell us what we already are?"

"Because weddings are fun to plan," Ginny said playfully.

Harry had finally proposed to Ginny a few months prior and she was in full wedding planning mode.

Hermione rolled eyes but smiled nonetheless. "Tell you what, if Draco ever does propose, I promise I'll let you help plan." Ginny started to squeal. "But you have to realize that may be a long time from now or not at all. We're happy now, just the way things are."

Draco walked over to them then, his eyes only on Hermione and he smiled. He had Finn in his arms now and the toddler reached out for his mother and she took him happily.

"How's my big boy? Having a good time?" she asked.

Draco reached over and ruffled his sons curly, blond hair. "I think so. He's been running around a lot so I think he's finally slowed down enough to do cake and gifts now."

Hermione nodded in agreement and nuzzled her son's cheek. "Are you ready for some cake, Finn?" she asked.

"Ya ya ya" he squealed while bouncing in his mother's arms.

All their friends and family gathered around and sung Happy Birthday to the guest of honor. Finn looked around and smiled at all the people before digging in his chubby hands into the small cake presented to him, smearing frosting all over his face.

"Oh my," Narcissa said, trying to suppress a giggle. "And this is a muggle tradition?"

Hermione's mother, who was standing next to Narcissa, nodded her head and took pictures of her grandson how was now "sharing" his cake with his parents, making a mess on their faces too.

Once the cake was served to everyone else and a few individuals cleaned up, they started the process of opening up presents.

Finn was gifted many gifts, both muggle and magical alike, and while he was busy playing with a new ride-on toy, the adults sat around and talked.

As the party was winding down, Draco stood up and clinked his wand against the glass in his hand, getting everyone's attention.

Draco cleared his throat. "Thank you all for coming today to celebrate Finn's birthday. I especially want to thank Hermione-" he turned to her and held out his hand for her to take, which she obliged as she got up to stand next to him. "-who has been both a wonderful mother and partner in this journey. As I'm sure most of you would agree, no would have ever thought that we'd be in this situation together, let alone _madly_ in love-" he gave Hermione a wink, who blushed as everyone laughed. "-but here we are. And I just wanted to say.." This time, he turned his full body to Hermione and took both of her hands in his. "I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He dipped his hand into the pocket of his trousers and brought out a small black box. Everyone gasped, including Hermione. "I've been holding onto this for a good six months, waiting for the right time to give this to you. I think today is the perfect day, celebrating the time when our son was born, and we first became a family, and now, I want to make it official."

Draco got down on one knee. "Hermione Jean Granger. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?" He opened the box to reveal a simple, yet gorgeous wedding white gold band, adorned with small diamonds that went all the way around with a bigger diamond in the middle.

Hermione smiled as a tear ran down her cheek, and she nodded. "Yes, Draco. Of course I'll be your wife."

Everyone whooped and hollered and Draco stood and picked up Hermione by the waist, twirling her around and giving her a good, hard kiss.

That night, when the guests were gone and Finn was passed out in his room, the newly engaged couple sat on their plush sofa, relaxing after a long day.

They were both reading, enjoying the quiet and each others company, when Draco heard Hermione sniffle.

He looked beside him and saw that she was looking at the ring on her hand and crying.

"Is everything ok, love?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, everything is perfect. I'm just so happy." She wiped away her tears. "I don't know why I'm crying though…. Must be the pregnancy hormones."

She watched Draco then, noting when exactly he figured it out. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "You're pregnant?!"

Hermione smiled, crying again and she nodded. "I just found out this morning. I was going to say something at the party, but I wanted to tell you first."

Draco pulled her in for a kiss. "I can't believe it," he said, kissing her again. "Another baby…"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. We'll have two kids under the age of two… do you think we'll survive it all?" she asked jokingly.

Draco laughed and pulled her close. "If there's anything I've learned this past year… as long as we continue working together, we can do anything."

* * *

 _ **As per usual, I had to stick the title of the story in the last line ;) Hope you all enjoyed it and you didn't sick from all the fluff and sweetness lol**_

_**Until next time my dear readers! *** **muah** **!***_

 ** _~HufflepuffMommy_**


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